Treadmill exercise ameliorates ethanol with lipopolysaccharide and carbon tetrachloride-mediated liver injury in mice

We reported that application of ethanol with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) enhanced alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level. In the current experiment, the protective effect of treadmill running on liver injury caused by ethanol with LPS and CCl(4) in mice was studied. Liver injury severity was determined by measuring ALT and AST level in the blood. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, immunohistochemistry for caspase-3, and Western blotting for Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were performed to indicate hepatocyte apoptosis. In addition, to understand the mechanism, 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation was studied by Western blotting. Treadmill exercise ameliorated ethanol with LPS and CCl(4)-mediated elevation of ALT and AST level. Treadmill exercise suppressed ethanol with LPS and CCl(4)-mediated elevation of the TUNEL-positive cell number and cleaved caspase-3 expression. Treadmill exercise suppressed ethanol with LPS and CCl(4)-mediated elevation of Bax expression and increased Bcl-2 expression suppressed by application of ethanol with LPS and CCl(4). Treadmill exercise enhanced AMPK phosphorylation which was suppressed by application of ethanol with LPS and CCl(4). Treadmill exercise has the effect of reducing liver damage caused by alcohol and or drug addiction.