title: Exercise training decreases proinflammatory profile in Zucker diabetic (type 2) fatty rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the present study we evaluated the effect of exercise on the plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and the anti-inflammatory molecule uric acid in the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats that are more prone to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen obese ZDF (Gmi fa/fa) rats (8 wk old, 228.40 +/- 4.05 g) were randomly assigned to one of two groups (n = 8 each): an exercise-trained group and a sedentary one. In addition, 16 lean ZDF (Gmi +/+) rats (8 wk old, 199.00 +/- 3.50 g) were subjected to identical sedentary and exercise conditioning (n = 8 each). Initially, rats swam 15 min/d (5 d/wk) in a 36 degrees C bath. The exercise protocol was gradually increased by 15 min/d until a swimming period of 1 h/d (1 wk) was attained. Thereafter, rats swam 1 h/d, 3 d/wk, for an additional period of 11 wk. Rats were sacrificed 48 h after the last training period and the blood and pancreas were collected. Circulating levels of glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, uric acid, IL-6, and TNF-alpha were assessed. The concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines in the pancreas were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the diabetic ZDF (fa/fa) rats, exercise decreased hyperuricemia (-37.3%) and IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels (-16.9% and -12.7% respectively) and maintained the weight of the pancreas at near normal. Immunohistochemistry revealed a marked decrease in the expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in the pancreatic islet cells of ZDF (fa/fa) rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that aerobic exercise is anti-inflammatory in nature.
authors.affiliation: Therapeutics Unit, Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medicine Faculty, Coimbra University, Coimbra, Portugal; Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Viseu, Portugal.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teixeira de Lemos
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baptista
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sepodes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vala
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rocha-Pereira
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Correia da Silva
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: A Santos
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: U N
authors.initials: UN
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D013550:Swimming; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol; D016207:Cytokines; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014280:Triglycerides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014527:Uric Acid