title: Modulation of inflammatory and oxidative status by exercise attenuates cardiac morphofunctional remodeling in experimental Chagas cardiomyopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The rational basis that explains the benefits of exercise therapy on Chagas cardiomyopathy (ChC) is poorly understood. This study investigated the impact of an exercise program on exercise performance, heart parasitism, immunoinflammatory response, fibrogenesis, oxidative damage, and cardiomyocytes contractility in experimental ChC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar rats were subjected to a 9-week treadmill running training and challenged with Trypanosoma cruzi. Control animals remained sedentary. Physical and metabolic performance, cardiac morphology, cytokines, chemokines, nitric oxide, oxidative tissue damage, cardiomyocyte morphology and contractility were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exercise training was efficient to improve physical performance and anaerobic threshold in trained animals. By increasing cardiac and serum levels of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-6), chemokines (MCP-1 and CX3CL1), the myocardial activity catalase and superoxide dismutase, and reducing lipid and protein oxidation in cardiac tissue, exercise training seem to be a beneficial strategy to mitigate the progression and severity of Chagas-associated cardiomyopathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The protective adaptations to the host triggered by exercise training contributed to reduce cardiac parasitism, inflammation, fibrosis and cardiomyocytes atrophy. Although exercise training does not affect nitric oxide levels in cardiac tissue from infected animals, this strategy enhanced the efficiency of endogenous antioxidant mechanisms, restricting oxidative tissue damage with positive repercussions to cardiomyocytes biomechanics in rats.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Structural Biology, Federal University of Alfenas, 37130-000 MG, Brazil; Department of Biological Sciences and NUPEB, Federal University of Ouro Preto, 35400-000 MG, Brazil. Electronic address: romuonovaes@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Rômulo D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Novaes
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Reggiani V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and NUPEB, Federal University of Ouro Preto, 35400-000 MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arlete R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Penitente
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, 05508-030 SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Henrique M
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Bozi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Clóvis A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Izabel R S C
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônio J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Natali
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and NUPEB, Federal University of Ouro Preto, 35400-000 MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talvani
mesh_terms: D015308:Anaerobic Threshold; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000473:pathology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators
keywords: Animal model; Cardiovascular pathology; Chagas disease; Histopathology; Trypanosoma cruzi