Exercise training improves the IL-10/TNF-α cytokine balance in the gastrocnemius of rats with heart failure.
Leonardo Calegari, Ramiro B Nunes, Bruna B Mozzaquattro and 2 others
PMID 28939262WHAT IT FOUND
In rats with heart failure, treadmill training improved the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signals in muscle, and increased muscle weight.
This is animal evidence only, not evidence for human rehabilitation.
Key findings
01Exercise training increased the gastrocnemius IL-10/TNF-α ratio in trained HF rats compared with sedentary HF and sham groups.
02Exercise training reduced TNF-α by 59% and increased IL-10 in the gastrocnemius of trained HF rats compared with sedentary HF rats.
03Exercise training increased gastrocnemius muscle weight and muscle weight to body weight ratio in trained HF rats compared with sedentary HF rats.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This was done in rats, not people, so it cannot show what exercise training does for patients with heart failure. The paper reports 35% perioperative mortality in the HF groups, so the surviving rats may not represent all HF rats. Muscle cytokine tests were done on only 3 to 6 rats per group, not the full 7 per group. Only rats that ran steadily with little or no prompting were used. The study measured cytokines and tissue weights, not walking ability, fatigue, breathlessness, quality of life, or clinical heart failure outcomes. Cardiac pressure measurements were made while the rats were under anaesthesia.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the improved muscle inflammatory balance in rats as evidence that exercise training will improve inflammation or muscle mass in people with heart failure. This was a small animal study, and cytokine tests used only 3 to 6 rats per group.