The rise in obesity-related morbidity in children and adolescents requires urgent prevention and treatment strategies. Currently, only limited data are available on the effects of exercise programs on insulin resistance, and visceral, hepatic, and intramyocellular fat accumulation. We hypothesized that a 12-week controlled aerobic exercise program without weight loss reduces visceral, hepatic, and intramyocellular fat content and decreases insulin resistance in sedentary Hispanic adolescents. Twenty-nine postpubertal (Tanner stage IV and V), Hispanic adolescents, 15 obese (7 boys, 8 girls; 15.6 +/- 0.4 years; 33.7 +/- 1.1 kg/m(2); 38.3 +/- 1.5% body fat) and 14 lean (10 boys, 4 girls; 15.1 +/- 0.3 years; 20.6 +/- 0.8 kg/m(2); 18.9 +/- 1.5% body fat), completed a 12-week aerobic exercise program (4 x 30 min/week at>or =70% of peak oxygen consumption (VO(2)peak)). Measurements of cardiovascular fitness, visceral, hepatic, and intramyocellular fat content (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)), and insulin resistance were obtained at baseline and postexercise. In both groups, fitness increased (obese: 13 +/- 2%, lean: 16 +/- 4%; both P<0.01). In obese participants, intramyocellular fat remained unchanged, whereas hepatic fat content decreased from 8.9 +/- 3.2 to 5.6 +/- 1.8%; P<0.05 and visceral fat content from 54.7 +/- 6.0 to 49.6 +/- 5.5 cm(2); P<0.05. Insulin resistance decreased indicated by decreased fasting insulin (21.8 +/- 2.7 to 18.2 +/- 2.4 microU/ml; P<0.01) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA(IR)) (4.9 +/- 0.7 to 4.1 +/- 0.6; P<0.01). The decrease in visceral fat correlated with the decrease in fasting insulin (R(2) = 0.40; P<0.05). No significant changes were observed in any parameter in lean participants except a small increase in lean body mass (LBM). Thus, a controlled aerobic exercise program, without weight loss, reduced hepatic and visceral fat accumulation, and decreased insulin resistance in obese adolescents.

BACKGROUND:Depression is one of the most common mental disorders. Finding effective treatments for such a disorder with higher efficiency lower side effects and affordability is an active area of research in psychiatry. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the effects of the cognitive group therapy and aerobic exercises on depression, automatic negative thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes of students at Kermanshah University of Medical Science.

METHODS:In this clinical trial, 46 associate and undergraduate students at Kermanshah University of Medical Science were randomly divided into three groups: cognitive therapy, aerobic exercise, and control. The data was gathered both before and 8 weeks after the intervention. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), automatic negative thoughts (ATQ), and the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) were used as the data collection instruments. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 15 using paired samples T-test, chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTS:Cognitive therapy caused a significant decrease in depression, belief in automatic negative thoughts, and dysfunctional attitudes in comparison to the control group (p<0.05). Although aerobics compared to the control group causes more reductions in the variables, however, It was only meaningful for the depression variable (p=0.049). Cognitive therapy also reduced the variables more than the aerobic exercise, but the decrease was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS:Cognitive group therapy and aerobic exercise are effective in treating depression. For treating depression, aerobic exercise can be used as a therapy itself or along with cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy.

This randomized study evaluated the impact of different exercise training modalities on blood pressure and body fat responses in apparently healthy older men. Forty-eight elderly men (aged 65-75 years) were randomly assigned to an aerobic training group (ATG, n=15), a combined aerobic and resistance training group (CTG, n=16), or a control group (n=17). Both exercise training programs were moderate-to-vigorous intensity, three days/week for 9-months. Strength, aerobic endurance, body fat and blood pressure were measured on five different occasions. The data were analyzed using a mixed-model ANOVA, and the independence between systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and group was tested. A significant main effect of group (p<0.001) was observed in strength and aerobic endurance, with higher performance observed in the CTG. A significant main effect of group (p<0.001) and time (p=0.029) was observed in body fat percentage, with a 2.3% decrease in CTG. A significant main effect of time was observed in SBP (p=0.005) and in DBP (p=0.011) for both ATG and CTG. Mean decreases in SBP and DBP, respectively, were 15 and 6 mmHg for ATG and 24 and 12 mmHg for CTG. There was a significant association for SBP (p=0.008) and DBP (p=0.005) in the CTG, with significant individual BP profile modifications. Both exercise-training programs reduce resting blood pressure. However, only the combined exercise training was effective at reducing body fat percentage; consequently, there were larger changes in blood pressure, which result in a significant reduction in hypertensive subjects.

This randomized study evaluated the impact of different exercise training modalities on blood pressure and body fat responses in apparently healthy older men. Forty-eight elderly men (aged 65-75 years) were randomly assigned to an aerobic training group (ATG, n=15), a combined aerobic and resistance training group (CTG, n=16), or a control group (n=17). Both exercise training programs were moderate-to-vigorous intensity, three days/week for 9-months. Strength, aerobic endurance, body fat and blood pressure were measured on five different occasions. The data were analyzed using a mixed-model ANOVA, and the independence between systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and group was tested. A significant main effect of group (p<0.001) was observed in strength and aerobic endurance, with higher performance observed in the CTG. A significant main effect of group (p<0.001) and time (p=0.029) was observed in body fat percentage, with a 2.3% decrease in CTG. A significant main effect of time was observed in SBP (p=0.005) and in DBP (p=0.011) for both ATG and CTG. Mean decreases in SBP and DBP, respectively, were 15 and 6 mmHg for ATG and 24 and 12 mmHg for CTG. There was a significant association for SBP (p=0.008) and DBP (p=0.005) in the CTG, with significant individual BP profile modifications. Both exercise-training programs reduce resting blood pressure. However, only the combined exercise training was effective at reducing body fat percentage; consequently, there were larger changes in blood pressure, which result in a significant reduction in hypertensive subjects.

Motor learning is impaired in Parkinson's disease (PD), with patients demonstrating deficits in skill acquisition (online learning) and consolidation (offline learning) compared to healthy adults of similar age. Recent studies in young adults suggest that single bouts of aerobic exercise (AEX), performed in close temporal proximity to practicing a new motor task, may facilitate motor skill learning. Thus, we aimed at investigating the effects of a single bout of aerobic cycling on online and offline learning in PD patients.17 PD patients (Hoehn and Yahr 1 - 2.5, age: 64.4± 6.2) participated in this crossover study. Immediately prior to practicing a novel balance task, patients either performed 30 min of (i) moderate intensity (60-70% VO) aerobic cycling, or (ii) seated rest (order counterbalanced). The task required patients to stabilize a balance platform (stabilometer) in a horizontal position for 30 s. For each experimental condition, patients performed 15 acquisition trials, followed by a retention test 24 h later. We calculated time in balance (platform within± 5° from horizontal) for each trial, and analyzed within- and between-subjects differences in skill acquisition (online learning) and skill retention (offline learning) using mixed repeated-measures ANOVA.We found that the exercise bout had no effect on performance level or online gains during acquisition, despite affecting the time course of skill improvements (larger initial and reduced late skill gains). Aerobic cycling significantly improved offline learning, as reflected by larger 24-h skill retention compared to the rest condition.Our results suggest that a single bout of moderate-intensity AEX is effective in improving motor skill consolidation in PD patients. Thus, acute exercise may represent an effective strategy to enhance motor memory formation in this population. More work is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms, the optimal scheduling of exercise, and the applicability to other motor tasks. Further, the potential for patients in later disease stages need to be investigated. The study was a priori registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03245216).

Motor learning is impaired in Parkinson's disease (PD), with patients demonstrating deficits in skill acquisition (online learning) and consolidation (offline learning) compared to healthy adults of similar age. Recent studies in young adults suggest that single bouts of aerobic exercise (AEX), performed in close temporal proximity to practicing a new motor task, may facilitate motor skill learning. Thus, we aimed at investigating the effects of a single bout of aerobic cycling on online and offline learning in PD patients.17 PD patients (Hoehn and Yahr 1 - 2.5, age: 64.4± 6.2) participated in this crossover study. Immediately prior to practicing a novel balance task, patients either performed 30 min of (i) moderate intensity (60-70% VO) aerobic cycling, or (ii) seated rest (order counterbalanced). The task required patients to stabilize a balance platform (stabilometer) in a horizontal position for 30 s. For each experimental condition, patients performed 15 acquisition trials, followed by a retention test 24 h later. We calculated time in balance (platform within± 5° from horizontal) for each trial, and analyzed within- and between-subjects differences in skill acquisition (online learning) and skill retention (offline learning) using mixed repeated-measures ANOVA.We found that the exercise bout had no effect on performance level or online gains during acquisition, despite affecting the time course of skill improvements (larger initial and reduced late skill gains). Aerobic cycling significantly improved offline learning, as reflected by larger 24-h skill retention compared to the rest condition.Our results suggest that a single bout of moderate-intensity AEX is effective in improving motor skill consolidation in PD patients. Thus, acute exercise may represent an effective strategy to enhance motor memory formation in this population. More work is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms, the optimal scheduling of exercise, and the applicability to other motor tasks. Further, the potential for patients in later disease stages need to be investigated. The study was a priori registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03245216).

There is considerable support for the view that aerobic exercise may confer cognitive benefits to mild cognitively impaired elderly persons. However, the biological mechanisms mediating these effects are not entirely clear. As a preliminary step towards informing this gap in knowledge, we enrolled older adults confirmed to have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a 6-month exercise program. Male and female subjects were randomized into a 6-month program of either aerobic or stretch (control) exercise. Data collected from the first 10 completers, aerobic exercise (n=5) or stretch (control) exercise (n=5), were used to determine intervention-induced changes in the global gene expression profiles of the aerobic and stretch groups. Using microarray, we identified genes with altered expression (relative to baseline values) in response to the 6-month exercise intervention. Genes whose expression were altered by at least two-fold, and met the p-value cutoff of 0.01 were inputted into the Ingenuity Pathway Knowledge Base Library to generate gene-interaction networks. After a 6-month aerobic exercise-training, genes promoting inflammation became down-regulated, whereas genes having anti-inflammatory properties and those modulating immune function or promoting neuron survival and axon growth, became up-regulated (all fold change≥±2.0, p<0.01). These changes were not observed in the stretch group. Importantly, the differences in the expression profiles correlated with significant improvement in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in the aerobic program as opposed to the stretch group. We conclude that three distinct cellular pathways may collectively influence the training effects of aerobic exercise in MCI subjects. We plan to confirm these effects using rt-PCR and correlate such changes with the cognitive phenotype.

PURPOSE:Aerobic exercise improves prognosis and quality of life (QoL) following completion of chemotherapy. However, the safety and efficacy of aerobic exercise during chemotherapy is less certain. A systematic review was performed of randomised trials of adult patients undergoing chemotherapy, comparing an exercise intervention with standard care.

METHOD:From 253 abstracts screened, 33 unique trials were appraised in accordance with PRISMA guidance, including 3257 patients. Interventions included walking, jogging or cycling, and 23 were of moderate intensity (50-80% maximum heart rate).

RESULTS:Aerobic exercise improved, or at least maintained fitness during chemotherapy. Moderately intense exercise, up to 70-80% of maximum heart rate, was safe. Any reported adverse effects of exercise were mild and self-limiting, but reporting was inconsistent. Adherence was good (median 72%). Exercise improved QoL and physical functioning, with earlier return to work. Two out of four studies reported improved chemotherapy completion rates. Four out of six studies reported reduced chemotherapy toxicity. There was no evidence that exercise reduced myelosuppression or improved response rate or survival.

CONCLUSIONS:Exercise during chemotherapy is safe and should be encouraged because of beneficial effects on QoL and physical functioning. More research is required to determine the impact on chemotherapy completion rates and prognosis.

Background:Clinical studies have reported hydrogen-rich water (HRW) to have therapeutic and ergogenic effects. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of acute supplementation with HRW on exercise performance as measured by VO, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), and respiratory rate (RR).

Methods:Baseline levels of all exercise indices were determined in nineteen (4 female, 23.4± 9.1 yr; 15 male, 30.5 ± 6.8 yr) healthy subjects using a graded treadmill exercise test to exhaustion. Each subject was examined two additional times in a randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover fashion. Subjects received either HRW or placebo, which was consumed the day before and the day of the testing. HRW was delivered using the hydrogen-producing tablets, DrinkHRW (5 mg of H). All data was analyzed with SPSS using pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni adjustment.

Results:HRW supplementation did not influence maximal or minimal indices of exercise performance (VO, RER, HR and RR) (p<0.05). However, HRW significantly decreased average exercising RR and HR (p<0.05). HRW decreased exercising HR during minutes 1-9 of the graded exercise test (121± 26 bpm) compared to placebo (126 ± 26 bpm) and baseline (124 ± 27 bpm) (p<0.001) without substantially influencing VO.

Conclusion:Acute supplementation of DrinkHRW tablets may benefit submaximal aerobic exercise performance by lowering exercising HR. Further studies are needed to determine the influence and practical significance of HRW on varying exercise intensities as well as optimal dosing protocols and the effects of chronic use.

BACKGROUND:There is increasing interest in the role of physical exercise as a therapeutic strategy for individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We assessed the effect of 26 weeks (6 months) of a supervised aerobic exercise program on memory, executive function, functional ability and depression in early AD.

METHODS AND FINDINGS:This study was a 26-week randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise vs. non-aerobic stretching and toning control intervention in individuals with early AD. A total of 76 well-characterized older adults with probable AD (mean age 72.9 [7.7]) were enrolled and 68 participants completed the study. Exercise was conducted with supervision and monitoring by trained exercise specialists. Neuropsychological tests and surveys were conducted at baseline,13, and 26 weeks to assess memory and executive function composite scores, functional ability (Disability Assessment for Dementia), and depressive symptoms (Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia). Cardiorespiratory fitness testing and brain MRI was performed at baseline and 26 weeks. Aerobic exercise was associated with a modest gain in functional ability (Disability Assessment for Dementia) compared to individuals in the ST group (X2 = 8.2, p = 0.02). There was no clear effect of intervention on other primary outcome measures of Memory, Executive Function, or depressive symptoms. However, secondary analyses revealed that change in cardiorespiratory fitness was positively correlated with change in memory performance and bilateral hippocampal volume.

CONCLUSIONS:Aerobic exercise in early AD is associated with benefits in functional ability. Exercise-related gains in cardiorespiratory fitness were associated with improved memory performance and reduced hippocampal atrophy, suggesting cardiorespiratory fitness gains may be important in driving brain benefits.

TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01128361.

CONTEXT:Data are limited on the effects of controlled aerobic exercise programs (without weight loss) on insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE:To determine whether a controlled aerobic exercise program (without weight loss) improves peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity and affects glucose production (GPR), gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in sedentary lean and obese Hispanic adolescents.

PATIENTS AND DESIGN:Twenty-nine post-pubertal adolescents (14 lean: 15.1 +/- 0.3 y; 20.6 +/- 0.8 kg/m(2); 18.9+/-1.5% body fat and 15 obese: 15.6 +/- 0.4 y; 33.2 +/- 0.9 kg/m(2); 38.4 +/- 1.4% body fat) (mean +/- SE), completed a 12 wk aerobic exercise program (4 x 30 min/week at>or=70% of VO(2) peak). Peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity and glucose kinetics were quantified using GCMS pre- and post-exercise.

RESULTS:No weight loss occurred. Lean and obese participants complied well with the program ( approximately 90% of the exercise sessions attended, resulting in approximately 15% increase in fitness in both groups). Peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity were higher in lean than obese adolescents but increased in both groups; peripheral insulin sensitivity by 35 +/- 14% (lean) (p<0.05) and 59 +/- 19% (obese) (p<0.01) and hepatic insulin sensitivity by 19 +/- 7% (lean) (p<0.05) and 23 +/- 4% (obese) (p<0.01). GPR, gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis did not differ between the groups. GPR decreased slightly, 3 +/- 1% (lean) (p<0.05) and 4 +/- 1% (obese) (p<0.01). Gluconeogenesis remained unchanged, while glycogenolysis decreased slightly in the obese group (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION:This well accepted aerobic exercise program, without weight loss, is a promising strategy to improve peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity in lean and obese sedentary adolescents. The small decrease in GPR is probably of limited clinical relevance.

White adipose tissue (WAT) is no longer considered a tissue whose main function is the storage of TAG. Since the discovery of leptin in 1994, several studies have elucidated the important role of WAT as an endocrine organ, the source of the adipokines. The low-grade inflammation observed in obese and cancer cachexia patients is explained, at least partially, by the exacerbated release of proinflammatory adipokines. Despite of the recent progress in the characterization of the various adipokines and lipokines produced by WAT, little is known about the mechanisms regulating the secretion of these molecules in different physiological and pathological circumstances. Chronic exercise is a nonpharmacological therapy employed in several chronic diseases and shows an anti-inflammatory effect through the regulation of the cytokine network. In this review, we address the potential mechanisms by which the aerobic physical exercise modulate the production and release of inflammatory adipokines, as well as the inflammation-lipolysis axis in WAT, with special focus in the therapeutic role of exercise in obesity-associated insulin resistance and cancer cachexia.

Regular physical exercise is broadly recommended by current European and American hypertension guidelines. It remains elusive, however, whether exercise leads to a reduction of blood pressure in resistant hypertension as well. The present randomized controlled trial examines the cardiovascular effects of aerobic exercise on resistant hypertension. Resistant hypertension was defined as a blood pressure≥140/90 mm Hg in spite of 3 antihypertensive agents or a blood pressure controlled by ≥4 antihypertensive agents. Fifty subjects with resistant hypertension were randomly assigned to participate or not to participate in an 8- to 12-week treadmill exercise program (target lactate, 2.0±0.5 mmol/L). Blood pressure was assessed by 24-hour monitoring. Arterial compliance and cardiac index were measured by pulse wave analysis. The training program was well tolerated by all of the patients. Exercise significantly decreased systolic and diastolic daytime ambulatory blood pressure by 6±12 and 3±7 mm Hg, respectively (P=0.03 each). Regular exercise reduced blood pressure on exertion and increased physical performance as assessed by maximal oxygen uptake and lactate curves. Arterial compliance and cardiac index remained unchanged. Physical exercise is able to decrease blood pressure even insubjects with low responsiveness to medical treatment. It should be included in the therapeutic approach to resistant hypertension.

Evidence suggests aerobic exercise has anxiolytic effects; yet, the treatment potential for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and responsible anxiolytic mechanisms have received little attention. Emerging evidence indicates that attentional focus during exercise may dictate the extent of therapeutic benefit. Whether benefits are a function of attentional focus toward or away from somatic arousal during exercise remains untested. Thirty-three PTSD-affected participants completed two weeks of stationary biking aerobic exercise (six sessions). To assess the effect of attentional focus, participants were randomized into three exercise groups: group 1 (attention to somatic arousal) received prompts directing their attention to the interoceptive effects of exercise, group 2 (distraction from somatic arousal) watched a nature documentary, and group 3 exercised with no distractions or interoceptive prompts. Hierarchal linear modeling showed all groups reported reduced PTSD and anxiety sensitivity (AS; i.e., fear of arousal-related somatic sensations) during treatment. Interaction effects between group and time were found for PTSD hyperarousal and AS physical and social scores, wherein group 1, receiving interoceptive prompts, experienced significantly less symptom reduction than other groups. Most participants (89%) reported clinically significant reductions in PTSD severity after the two-week intervention. Findings suggest, regardless of attentional focus, aerobic exercise reduces PTSD symptoms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) experience progressive loss of independence-performing activities of daily living. Identifying interventions to support independence and reduce the economic and psychosocial burden of caregiving for individuals with AD is imperative. The purpose of this analysis was to examine functional disability and caregiver time in individuals with early-stage AD.

METHODS:This was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial of 26 weeks of aerobic exercise (AEx) versus stretching and toning (ST). We measured functional dependence using the Disability Assessment for Dementia, informal caregiver time required using the Resources Utilization in Dementia Lite, and cognition using a standard cognitive battery.

RESULTS:We saw a stable function in the AEx group compared with a significant decline in the ST group (4%; F = 4.2, P = .04). This was especially evident in more complex, instrumental activities of daily living, with individuals in the AEx group increasing 1% compared with an 8% loss in the ST group over 26 weeks (F = 8.3, P = .006). Change in memory was a significant predictor of declining instrumental activities of daily living performance (r = 0.28, 95% confidence interval = 0.08∞, P = .01). Informal caregiver time was not different between the AEx and ST groups.

CONCLUSIONS:Our analysis extends recent work by revealing specific benefits for instrumental activities of daily living for individuals in the early stages of AD and supports the value of exercise for individuals with cognitive impairment.

Vascular insulin resistance often precedes endothelial dysfunction in type 1 diabetes mellitus. Strategies to limit vascular dysfunction include intensive insulin therapy (4-9 mM) and aerobic training. To avoid the risk of hypoglycaemia, individuals often prescribed conventional insulin therapy (9-15 mM) and participate in resistance training. In a model of type 1 diabetes mellitus, this study examined insulin-induced vasomotor function in the aorta and femoral artery to determine (1) whether resistance training with conventional insulin therapy provides the same benefits as aerobic training with conventional insulin therapy, (2) whether aerobic training or resistance training, when paired with conventional insulin therapy, results in superior vasomotor function compared to intensive insulin therapy alone and (3) whether vessel-specific adaptations exist. Groups consisted of conventional insulin therapy, intensive insulin therapy, aerobic training with conventional insulin therapy and resistance training with conventional insulin therapy. Following multiple low doses of streptozotocin, male Sprague-Dawley rats were supplemented with insulin to maintain blood glucose concentrations (9-15 mM: conventional insulin therapy, aerobic training and resistance training; 4-9 mM: intensive insulin therapy) for 12 weeks. Aerobic training performed treadmill exercise and resistance training consisted of weighted climbing. Coinciding with increased Akt signalling, aerobic training resulted in enhanced insulin-induced vasorelaxation in the femoral artery. Intensive insulin therapy displayed increased mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling and no improvement in insulin-stimulated vasorelaxation compared to all other groups. These data suggest that aerobic training may be more beneficial for limiting the pathogenesis of vascular disease in type 1 diabetes mellitus than merely intensive insulin therapy.

OBJECTIVE:Previous studies have shown that estrogen deficiency, arising in postmenopause, promotes endothelial dysfunction. This study evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise training on endothelial dependent vasodilation of aorta in ovariectomized rats, specifically investigating the role of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS).

METHODS:Female Wistar rats ovariectomized (OVX - n=20) or with intact ovary (SHAM - n=20) remained sedentary (OVX and SHAM) or performed aerobic exercise training on a treadmill 5 times a week for a period of 8 weeks (OVX-TRA and SHAM-TRA). In the thoracic aorta the endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation was assessed by acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively. Certain aortic rings were incubated with L-NAME to assess the NO modulation on the ACh-induced vasodilation. The fluorescence to dihydroethidium in aortic slices and plasma nitrite/nitrate concentrations were measured to evaluate ROS and NO bioavailability, respectively.

RESULTS:ACh-induced vasodilation was reduced in OVX rats as compared SHAM (Rmax: SHAM: 86±3.3 vs. OVX: 57±3.0%, p<0.01). Training prevented this response in OVX-TRA (Rmax: OVX-TRA: 88±2.0%, p<0.01), while did not change it in SHAM-TRA (Rmax: SHAM-TRA: 80±2.2%, p<0.01). The L-NAME incubation abolished the differences in ACh-induced relaxation among groups. SNP-induced vasodilation was not different among groups. OVX reduced nitrite/nitrate plasma concentrations and increased ROS in aortic slices, training as effective to restore these parameters to the SHAM levels.

CONCLUSIONS:Exercise training, even in estrogen deficiency conditions, is able to improve endothelial dependent vasodilation in rat aorta via enhanced NO bioavailability and reduced ROS levels.

The heavy and episodic EtOH drinking pattern, equivalent to weekend consumption, characterizes the binge-drinking pattern and promotes a misbalance of encephalic metabolic functions, concurring to neurodegeneration and cerebral dysfunction. And for being a legal drug, it has global public health and social relevance. In this way, we aimed to investigate the effects of physical training, in a treadmill, on the deleterious effects of EtOH on hippocampal functions, related to memory and learning. For this, we used 40 Wistar rats, divided into four groups: Control group, Trained group (trained animals with doses of distilled water), EtOH group (nontrained animals with doses of 3 g/kg/day of EtOH, 20%/), and Trained+EtOH group (trained animals exposed to EtOH). The physical exercise was performed by running on a treadmill for 5 days a week for 4 weeks, and all doses of EtOH were administered through intragastric gavage in four repeated cycles of EtOH in binge. After the experimental period, the animals were submitted to the object recognition task and Morris water maze test, and after being euthanized, the blood and hippocampus were collected for Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC), Reduced Glutathione Content (GSH), and Nitrite and Lipid Peroxidation (LPO) level measurements. Our results showed that EtOH caused marked oxidative stress and mnemonic damage, and the physical exercise promoted neuroprotective effects, among them, the modulation of oxidative biochemistry in plasma (by restoring GSH levels) and in the hippocampus (by reducing LPO levels and increasing antioxidant parameters) and cognitive function improvement. Therefore, physical exercise can be an important prophylactic and therapeutic tool in order to ameliorate and even prevent the deleterious effects of EtOH on cognitive functions.

INTRODUCTION:Aerobic training and green tea extract can be used to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of eight-week aerobic exercise training and administration of green tea extract on the level of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and p53 tumor suppressor protein (p53) in prostate of rats which were stimulated by N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea (NMU) to induce the prostate cancer.

METHODS:60 adult male Wistar rats were assigned into six groups including healthy control (HCt), cancer control (CCt), cancer training (CTr: 45 min/day at low-moderate intensity, 5 times/week, 8 weeks), cancer extract (CEx: 1.34 ml of green tea extract, 3 times/week, 8 weeks), cancer training+ cancer extract (CTr+CEx) and sham groups. Rats were sacrificed 48 hours after the last intervention session, and the prostate tissue was isolated to measure the levels of NF-kB, COX-2, and p53.

RESULTS:The NF- kB level in CCt group was increased significantly compared to the HCt (P=0.02). In the CTr group, NF-kB level was decreased significantly compared to the CCt and CEx groups (P=0.001 and 0.05, respectively). In addition, the levels of P53 protein were reduced in CTr, CEx and CTr+CEx groups compared to CCt group (P=0.001, 0.02 and 0.004, respectively). No significant changes were found in the level of COX-2 between groups.

CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that a long-term exercise training combined with the intake of green tea extract may reduce levels of NF-kB and p53 in rats with prostate cancer. Given the importance of recognizing complementary therapies in this regard, future studies are warranted.