@Article{ecn.2008.0115,
AUTHOR = {Mounir Chennaoui, Catherine Drogou, Danielle Gomez-Merino},
TITLE = {Effects of physical training on IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-1ra concentrations in various brain areas of the rat},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {19},
YEAR = {2008},
NUMBER = {1},
PAGES = {8--14},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v19n1/65942},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {There is increasing evidence that voluntary physical activity and exercise training have beneficial
effects on brain function by facilitating neurovegetative, neuroadaptative and neuroprotective processes.
Cytokines are chronically expressed at elevated levels within the CNS in many neurological disorders and may
contribute to the histopathological, pathophysiological, and cognitive deficits associated with such disorders. In
the present study, we examined the influence of seven weeks of physical training on IL-1b, IL-6 and IL-1ra
concentrations in hypothalamus, pituitary, hippocampus, cerebellum and frontal cortex in rats. We determined
circulating concentrations of cytokines, corticosterone, prolactin and leptin. Two groups of 10 rats were
investigated: one group (trained rats) was progressively trained (5 days/week); the other group (sedentary rats)
was used as a sedentary group. The training program induced a decrease of (i) IL-1b concentration in the
hippocampus (0.7 ± 0.16 versus 0.99 ± 0.14 pg/mg protein; p < 0.05), (ii) IL-6 concentration in the cerebellum
(10.7 ± 1.00 in trained rats versus 14.8 ± 1.34 pg/mg protein in sedentary rats; p < 0.05), (iii) IL-1ra concentration
in the pituitary (245 ± 14.31 versus 328 ± 17.73 pg/mg protein; p < 0.01). We also found positive correlations
between (i) serum prolactin and the concentration of IL-6 in the cerebellum, (ii) serum leptin and the
concentration of IL-1ra in the pituitary. There was no effect of physical training on IL-1b, IL-6, and IL-1ra serum
levels. These findings suggest that the decrease in particular pro-inflammatory, central cytokines such as IL-1b
and IL-6 induced by the training program may play a role in the positive effects of regular physical activity on
the central nervous system.},
DOI = {10.1684/ecn.2008.0115}
}