CELLULAR MARKERS OF YOGA
Presented by,
Mr. Thrinath M
Senior Research Fellow @ Y-SCAN Project
Research Scholar @ Human Genetics Dept. NIMHANS
Chaired by,
Dr. Monojit Debnath
Additional Professor,
Dept. of Human Genetics, NIMHANS
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Evidences indicating the impact of yoga therapy at Cellular and
Molecular level
3. Evidences indicating the impact of yoga therapy at Genetic and
Epigenetic level
4. Conclusion
5. References
Benefits of Yoga Practice
Improved Brain
Function Lower Stress Levels
Increased Flexibility
Lower Blood
Pressure
Improved Immune Function
Reduced Chronic Neck &
Back Pain
Lower Blood Sugar
Levels in Diabetes
Improved Sense of Balance
Stronger Bones
Healthy Weight
Lower Risk of Hearth Diseases
• Yoga is one of the most common integrative
medicine (IM) modalities and related
practices.
• Accumulating evidences shown that yoga
improves wellness in healthy people and have
benefits for patients.
• However, the mechanisms of action of yoga
on the mind-body system are largely
unknown.
INTRODUCTION
EVIDENCES INDICATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY AT MOLECULAR & CELLULAR LEVEL
EFFECT OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS
ROS:
Superoxide anion (O2-)
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
Hydroxyl Radicals (OH_
)
Anti-oxidants:
Glutathione, Melatonin, Ascorbic acid
or vitamin C, …
Enzymes: SOD, Catalase, Glutathione
systems…
OXIDATIVE STRESS
Oxidative stress, defined as a disturbance in the
balance between the production of reactive oxygen
species (free radicals) and antioxidant system, which
is in charge of keeping the homeostasis of the
organism (Betteridge, 2000)
Internal sources of free radicals: Mitochondria, Peroxisomes, Inflammation, Phagocytosis..
External sources of free radicals: Cigarette smoke, Environmental pollutants, Radiation… (V. Lobo
et al., 2010)
MARKERS OF OXIDATIVE AND ANTI-OXIDATIVE STATUS
• Oxidative stress:
• DNA/RNA damage: 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG)
• Lipid peroxidation: Malondialdehyde (MDA)
• Protein oxidation / nitration: carbonylation or protein nitration (3-
nitrotyrosines)
• Total antioxidant status (TAOS)
• Glutathione (GSH) and oxidised glutathione
• antioxidant enzymes: Superoxide dismutase, Catalase.. Trolox equivalent
antioxidant capacity assay (TEAC)
• Oxygen radical antioxidant capacity (ORAC) assay
OS
Sperm DNA/mt
damage
Meditation and yoga based life style
OS and ODD and improvement in sperm
DNA integrity
• seminal mean ROS levels (p<0.05), sperm DFI
(p<0.001), 8-OHdG (p<0.01) levels in fathers of children
with RB
• Shorter relative mean telomere length in the sperm
(Rima Dada et al., 2016)
• Regularly yoga practitioners had lower systemic oxidative stress (high TAOS
and low MDA and homocysteine) compared to those who have a relatively
sedentary lifestyle despite lack of any medical disorders. (Bandi Hari
Krishna et al., 2015)
OS
Sperm DNA/mt
damagemtDNA
damageInflammation
Genetic
instability
Increased
Aging
Yoga Therapy
Improved
sperm quality
Decreased
inflammation
levels
Genetic
integrityYouthfulnessStable
mitochondria
Cellular
damage
Increased
cell longevity
EFFECT OF YOGA ON OXIDATIVE STRESS
EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON CANCER
CANCER
• Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell
growth with the potential to invade or spread to other
parts of the body.
• There are more than 100 types of cancer:
• breast cancer,
• skin cancer,
• lung cancer,
• colon cancer,
• prostate cancer,
• lymphoma. ...
• Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are stem-like tumor cells that contribute towards tumor
growth, maintenance and recurrence
CANCER STEM CELLS (CSCS)
CSCs
Mature
cancer cells
CSCs
Mature
cancer cells
• Yoga therapy has the potential to modulate CSCs micro-
environment by following mechanisms:
• Reducing HIF-1 (Hypoxia Induced factor-1) activity by
enhanced oxygenation
• Increased NK cell (CD56+ cells) activity thereby enhanced
CSC lysis (Masatada Wachi et al., 2007)
• By minimizing the aberrant expressions or activities of
various hormones, cytokines, chemokines and tumor
signaling pathways.
• Yoga therapy may have a synergistic effect with
conventional treatment in preventing cancer progression
and recurrences (Bhargav.H et al., J Stem Cells. 2012)
YOGA THERAPY AND TISSUE HOMEOSTASIS
MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS (MSCS)
• MSCs (CD90, CD105 and CD73) are non-
hematopoietic stromal cells present in the bone
marrow and connective tissues.
• Capable of differentiating into mesenchymal
tissue: Bone, cartilage, adipose tissue and
muscle
• Play an important role in tissue homeostasis.
YOGA THERAPY AND MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS (MSCS) TRAFFICKING
• After three weeks Intensive MBT retreat, 90 %
(n=108) of participants had increased levels of
peripheral blood stem cells (Rao KS et al.,
2015).
(Nitya Shree et al., 2016).
IMPACT OF YOGA THERAPY ON GENE EXPRESSION
GENE EXPRESSION
• Gene expression is the process by which information
from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene
product.
• Gene expression is influenced by external and internal
factors.
• External factors: hormones, cytokines, etc.
• Internal factors: Metabolism, growth, etc.
EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON GENE EXPRESSION
• Rapid changes in global gene expression profiles in the
peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were assessed.
• Qu et al. (2013) investigated the global gene expression in
PBMCs (>47,000 transcripts) in healthy people who practiced
either a comprehensive yoga program (SK&P) or a control
regimen (nature walk and listening to a relaxing music) (N = 10)
• Figure (C) is Venn diagram
indicating the overlap in the
genes commonly regulated by
the yoga and control regimens
Heatmaps of the differentially
expressed genes induced by the yoga
(A) and control (B) regimens.
(Qu S et al., 2013)
• Yoga therapy down regulates NF-kB and IRF-1
transcription factors
• Decreases apoptotic gene expression
• Balancing the levels of various pro-inflammatory
pathway genes (IL-6) and anti-inflammatory
genes (IL-10)
Change in CD4 cell counts between pre and post
yoga interventionChange in viral load between pre and post yoga
intervention
A piolet study on HIV+ patients, yoga therapy lead to increases in CD4/CD8 ration and
decrease in viral load (n=18) (BP Hari Chandra et al., 2019)
EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON IMMUNE CELL COUNT
IMPACT OF YOGA THERAPY AT GENOMIC AND EPIGENOMIC LEVEL
• The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2009
• Elizabeth H. Blackburn
• Carol W. Greider
• Jack W. Szostak
• “how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and
the enzyme telomerase“
• An important piece in the puzzle – human ageing, cancer,
and stem cells
EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON TELOMERE & TELOMERASE
• Telomeres, the repetitive sequences that protect the ends of chromosomes.
• Telomeres progressively shorten throughout life.
• Shorter telomere length associated with lifestyle disorders.
• Telomerase is an enzyme which maintains the telomere length.
• A three week intense MBT retreat with healthy individuals (n=108), showed 45% one
fold increased and 27% with 2 fold increase in telomerase activity may lead to
increased longevity and better quality of life. (Rao KS et al., 2015)
• Two years yoga practice (Yoga group, n=15) and age, gender and body mass index
matched sedentary healthy general population (Control group, n=18) showed shorter
lymphocyte telomere length (LTL) in control group than in yoga group (p<0.001)
MECHANISM OF TELOMERE LENGTH PROTECTION THROUGH YOGA
(Mrithunjay et al., 2018)
OS
Sperm DNA/mt
damageGenetic
instability
Increased
Aging
Yoga Therapy
Increased
male fertilityGenetic
integrityYouthfulness
Impact of Yoga therapy on some of
the aspect at Genomic Level
EPIGENETICS
“epi-“ means above in Greek.
DNA modifications that do not change the DNA
sequence can affect gene activity.
Chemical compounds that are added to single
genes can regulate their activity; these
modifications are known as epigenetic changes.
• A cross-sectional pilot study used a subsample (n = 28) from a RCT investigating the impact of an
8-week yoga intervention in a community population of women reporting psychological distress
(N = 116)
• Measured for interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and C-reactive protein (CRP)
protein levels, and DNA methylation of these genes and the global indicator, LINE-1.
• Reduced methylation of the TNF region in the yoga group relative to the waitlist control
(p=0.025)
• This study reports a robust association between engagement with an 8-week yoga intervention
and reduction in mean methylation of TNF (5.5%)
IMPACT OF YOGA AT EPIGENETIC LEVEL
CONCLUSION
• Data suggest possible roles of yoga practice and related practices can decrease
systemic oxidative stress which may assist to prevent and/or alleviate deterioration of
related diseases.
• Gene expression data suggests that previously reported effects of yoga practices
have an integral physiological component at the molecular level which is initiated
immediately during practice and may form the basis for the long term stable effects.
REFERENCES
• Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. V. Lobo et al., Pharmacogn Rev. 2010
Jul-Dec; 4(8): 118–126.
• Effect of Yoga on Immune Parameters, Cognitive Functions, and Quality of Life among HIV-Positive
Children/Adolescents: A Pilot Study BP Hari Chandra
• Antiaging Effects of an Intensive Mind and Body Therapeutic Program through Enhancement of Telomerase
Activity and Adult Stem Cell Counts. Rao KS et al. J Stem Cells. 2015;10(2):107-25.
• Implication of Asana, Pranayama and Meditation on Telomere Stability. Mrithunjay et al., IJOY, 2018
• Association of Leukocyte Telomere Length with Oxidative Stress in Yoga Practitioners. Bandi Hari Krishna et al.,
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2015 Mar,Vol-9(3).
• Rapid Gene Expression Changes in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes upon Practice of a Comprehensive Yoga
Program.Qu S, Olafsrud SM, Meza-Zepeda LA, Saatcioglu F (2013) PLOS ONE 8(4): e61910.
• Effect of Yoga on Immune Parameters, Cognitive Functions, and Quality of Life among HIV-Positive
Children/Adolescents: A Pilot Study. BP Hari Chandra et al.,, Int J Yoga. 2019 May-Aug; 12(2): 132–138.
•
• Effects of yoga on natural killer cell counts in early breast cancer patients undergoing conventional treatment.
Masatada Wachi, et al., Med Sci Monit, 2007; 13(2): CR57-70
• Enhancement of cancer stem cell susceptibility to conventional treatments through complementary yoga therapy:
possible cellular and molecular mechanisms. Bhargav.H et al., J Stem Cells. 2012.
• Can yoga therapy stimulate stem cell trafficking from bone marrow? Nitya Shree et al., Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative
Medicine 7 (2016).