Aerobic exercise improves the inflammatory profile correlated with cardiac remodeling and function in chronic heart failure rats

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of 8 weeks of aerobic exercise training on cardiac functioning and remodeling and on the plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines in chronic heart failure rats. METHODS: Wistar rats were subjected to myocardial infarction or sham surgery and assigned to 4 groups: chronic heart failure trained (n = 7), chronic heart failure sedentary (n = 6), sham trained (n = 8) and sham sedentary (n = 8). Four weeks after the surgical procedures, the rats were subjected to aerobic training in the form of treadmill running (50 min/day, 5 times per week, 16 m/min). At the end of 8 weeks, the rats were placed under anesthesia, the hemodynamic variables were recorded and blood samples were collected. Cardiac hypertrophy was evaluated using the left ventricular weight/body weight ratio, and the collagen volume fraction was assessed using histology. RESULTS: The chronic heart failure trained group showed a reduction in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, a lower left ventricular weight/body weight ratio and a lower collagen volume fraction compared with the chronic heart failure sedentary group. In addition, exercise training reduced the plasma levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and increased the plasma level of IL-10. CONCLUSION: An 8-week aerobic exercise training program improved the inflammatory profile and cardiac function and attenuated cardiac remodeling in chronic heart failure rats.