title: Prior regular exercise improves clinical outcome and reduces demyelination and axonal injury in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
abstract: Although previous studies have shown that forced exercise modulates inflammation and is therapeutic acutely for experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the long-term benefits have not been evaluated. In this study, we investigated the effects of preconditioning exercise on the clinical and pathological progression of EAE. Female C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to either an exercised (Ex) or unexercised (UEx) group and all of them were induced for EAE. Mice in the Ex group had an attenuated clinical score relative to UEx mice throughout the study. At 42 dpi, flow cytometry analysis showed a significant reduction in B cells, CD4(+) T cells, and CD8(+) T cells infiltrating into the spinal cord in the Ex group compared to UEx. Ex mice also had a significant reduction in myelin damage with a corresponding increase in proteolipid protein expression. Finally, Ex mice had a significant reduction in axonal damage. Collectively, our study demonstrates for the first time that a prolonged and forced preconditioning protocol of exercise improves clinical outcome and attenuates pathological hallmarks of EAE at chronic disease. In this study, we show that a program of 6 weeks of preconditioning exercise promoted a significant reduction of cells infiltrating into the spinal cord, a significant reduction in myelin damage and a significant reduction in axonal damage in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice at 42 dpi. Collectively, our study demonstrates for the first time that a preconditioning protocol of exercise improves clinical outcome and attenuates pathological hallmarks of EAE at chronic disease.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Núcleo de Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.|CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, DF, Brazil.|The Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bernardes
authors.affiliation: The Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.affiliation: The Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.|Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bracchi-Ricard
authors.affiliation: The Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Shaffiat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karmally
authors.affiliation: The Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dellarole
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Núcleo de Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carvalho-Tavares
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bethea
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology*; D020278:Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: axonal damage; demyelination; experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE); neuroinflammation; swimming exercise