title: The role of IL-6 in mediating the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise.
abstract: Regular exercise offers protection against all cause mortality and there is evidence from randomised intervention studies that physical training is effective as a treatment in patients with chronic heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and symptoms related to the metabolic syndrome. Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer are associated with chronic low-grade systemic inflammation. It has been demonstrated that regular exercise induces anti-inflammatory effects with elevated levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and suppression of TNF-alpha production. Thereby, exercise offers protection against TNF-alpha-induced insulin resistance. Otherwise, the exercise-induced production and release of IL-6 from myofibers may contribute to abrogate an atherogenic lipid profile, which is often associated with chronic diseases. This review focuses on the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise and how this may contribute to mediate the beneficial health effects of exercise training in patients with chronic diseases associated with chronic low-grade inflammation.
authors.affiliation: The Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism, Department of Infectious Diseases and CMRC, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health Sciences, Denmark.
authors.forename: A M W
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Pedersen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha