Comparison the Effect of One Session Submaximal Exercise on Plasma Levels of IL6 and TNF- a in Obese and Non-Obese Women

BACKGROUND: Cytokines are a group of low-molecular-weight regulatory proteins that produced by cells in response to stimulation. In fact, they increase in response to immune system during exercise. Also, many cytokines such as IL-6 and TNFα are secreted from adipose tissue in obese people. So the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of one session submaximal exercise on plasma levels of IL6 and TNFα in obese and non-obese women. METHODS: Sixteen healthy women aged 20-30 years old participated in the study. Subjects were classified into obese (n=8) and nonobese (n=8) groups who performed submaximal exercise program (50-65% HRM) for 30minutes. Blood samples were taken for cytokines measurement, before and after exercise. Data were analyzed with SPSS15. The effect of exercise on mentiones variables was evaluated using t-test and covariance test. RESULTS: Level of IL-6 increased significantly in two studied groups after 30 minutes submaximal exercise (P<0.05). Levels of TNFα increased significantly in obese subjects but not in non-obese subjects. There were no significant changes in the levels of IL-6 and TNFα after 30 minutes submaximal exercise between two studied groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: After submaximal exercise, plasma level of IL6 and TNFα may increase and adipose tissue is the main source of circulating IL6 and TNFα.