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Long-term physical exercise facilitates putative glymphatic and meningeal lymphatic vessel flow in humans

Author

Listed:
  • Roh-Eul Yoo

    (Seoul National University College of Medicine
    Seoul National University Hospital)

  • Jun-Hee Kim

    (Seoul National University)

  • Hyo Youl Moon

    (Seoul National University)

  • Jae Yeon Park

    (Seoul National University)

  • Seongmin Cheon

    (Chonnam National University
    Seoul National University Hospital)

  • Hyun-Suk Shin

    (Seoul National University Hospital)

  • Dohyun Han

    (Seoul National University Hospital
    Seoul National University Hospital
    Seoul University College of Medicine)

  • Yukyoum Kim

    (Seoul National University)

  • Sung-Hong Park

    (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST))

  • Seung Hong Choi

    (Seoul National University College of Medicine
    Seoul National University Hospital
    Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
    Seoul National University)

Abstract

Regular voluntary exercise has been shown to increase waste transport through the glymphatic system in mice. Here, we investigate the impact of physical exercise on both upstream and downstream brain waste clearance in healthy volunteers via noninvasive MR imaging. Putative glymphatic influx, evaluated using intravenous contrast-enhanced dynamic T1 mapping, increases significantly at the putamen after 12 weeks of long-term exercise using a cycle ergometer. The putative meningeal lymphatic vessel size and flow, measured by intravenous contrast-enhanced black-blood imaging and IR-ALADDIN technique, increase significantly after long-term exercise. Plasma proteomics reveals significant changes in inflammation-related and immune-related proteins (down-regulated: S100A8, S100A9, PSMA3, and DEFA1A3; up-regulated: J chain) after long-term exercise, which correlate with putative glymphatic influx or mLV flow. Our results suggest that increased glymphatic and mLV flow may be the potential mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effects of exercise on cognition, highlighting the importance of long-term, regular exercise.

Suggested Citation

  • Roh-Eul Yoo & Jun-Hee Kim & Hyo Youl Moon & Jae Yeon Park & Seongmin Cheon & Hyun-Suk Shin & Dohyun Han & Yukyoum Kim & Sung-Hong Park & Seung Hong Choi, 2025. "Long-term physical exercise facilitates putative glymphatic and meningeal lymphatic vessel flow in humans," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58726-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58726-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Antoine Louveau & Igor Smirnov & Timothy J. Keyes & Jacob D. Eccles & Sherin J. Rouhani & J. David Peske & Noel C. Derecki & David Castle & James W. Mandell & Kevin S. Lee & Tajie H. Harris & Jonathan, 2015. "Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatic vessels," Nature, Nature, vol. 523(7560), pages 337-341, July.
    2. Ji Hoon Ahn & Hyunsoo Cho & Jun-Hee Kim & Shin Heun Kim & Je-Seok Ham & Intae Park & Sang Heon Suh & Seon Pyo Hong & Joo-Hye Song & Young-Kwon Hong & Yong Jeong & Sung-Hong Park & Gou Young Koh, 2019. "Meningeal lymphatic vessels at the skull base drain cerebrospinal fluid," Nature, Nature, vol. 572(7767), pages 62-66, August.
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