Aerobic training reduces immune cell recruitment and cytokine levels in adipose tissue in obese mice

Obesity is associated with an energy imbalance that results from excessive energy intake, low diet quality and a sedentary lifestyle. In this regard, the increased consumption of a high-refined carbohydrate diet (HC) is strongly related to higher adiposity and low-grade inflammation. Aerobic training is a well-known non-pharmacological intervention to treat obesity and metabolic disturbances. However, the mechanisms through which aerobic training ameliorates the low-grade inflammation induced by the HC diet need to be further investigated. Herein, our hypothesis was that aerobic training would decrease the recruitment of leukocytes in the adipose tissue thereby reducing the levels of cytokines and improving metabolism in mice fed the HC diet. Male Balb/c were assigned to the following groups: control non-trained (C-NT), control trained (C-T), HC-NT and HC-T. Mice were submitted to moderate-intensity training sessions that consisted of running 60 min/day for 8 weeks. The intravital microscopy technique was performed in vivo in anesthetized mice to visualize the microvasculature of the adipose tissue. The HC diet induced obesity and increased the influx of immune cells into the adipose tissue. In contrast, HC-T mice presented a lower adiposity and adipocyte area. Furthermore, HC-T mice showed an increased resting energy expenditure, a decreased recruitment of immune cells in the adipose tissue, reduced cytokine levels, and ameliorated hyperglycemia and fatty liver deposition relative to HC-NT mice. Collectively, our data enhance the understanding about the anti-inflammatory effect of aerobic training and shed light on the adipose tissue-mediated mechanisms by which training promotes a healthier metabolic profile.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Impact of a physical activity program on plasma concentrations of adiponectin, leptin and ghrelin in overweight and obese schoolchildren: A randomized controlled trial

Introduction: Child obesity has important consequences on the child’s health and is related to the risk of developing chronic diseases. That brings up the need for research assessing the impact of obesity - and overweight - reduction programs with close attention to methodology aspects and precise indicators of the impact of such programs. Goal: Assessing the impact of a physical activity program on the plasma concentrations of adiponectin, leptin, and ghrelin in overweight and obese schoolchildren. Methods: Randomized controlled trial, double-blind, with 6- to 9-year-old overweight and obese school- children. A sample of 79 schoolchildren ran- domly distributed into control and intervention groups was subjected to a physical activity program. The levels of adiponectin, leptin, ghrelin, body mass index, body fat percentage, an- thropometry, lipid profile and glycemia were evaluated. The program’s impact was assessed through multivariate linear regression models. Result: When comparing the groups, a significant difference was found for adiponectin, which shows an increase in the proportion of subjects with higher adiponectin concentrations for the intervention group and a reduction in body mass index and body fat percentage. Conclusion: The impact of the intervention program was positive in increasing adiponectin levels associated with a reduction in body mass index and body fat percentage