Exercise prevents cardiometabolic alterations induced by chronic use of glucocorticoids

• Published in: Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia Vol. 93; no. 4; p. 400
• Main Authors: Pinheiro, Carlos Hermano da Justa, Sousa Filho, Wilson Martins de, Oliveira Neto, Joselito de, Marinho, Maria de Jesus Ferreira, Motta Neto, Renato, Smith, Manuela Maria Ramos Lima, Silva, Carlos Antônio Bruno da
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil 01-10-2009
• Subjects: Animals; Cardiovascular Diseases - chemically induced; Cardiovascular Diseases - metabolism; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Dexamethasone - administration & dosage; Dexamethasone - adverse effects; Glucocorticoids - administration & dosage; Glucocorticoids - adverse effects; Male; Metabolic Syndrome - chemically induced; Metabolic Syndrome - metabolism; Metabolic Syndrome - prevention & control; Physical Conditioning, Animal - methods; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar
• ISSN: 1678-4170

Chronically, glucocorticoids induce adverse cardiometabolic alterations including insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia, liver steatosis and arterial hypertension.
To evaluate the effect of regular practice of aerobic exercise on cardiometabolic alterations induced by chronic administration of dexamethasone (Dex - 0.5 mg/kg/day ip) in rats.
Male Wistar rats (n = 24) were divided in four groups: Control group; Trained group; Treated with Dex group and Treated with Dex and trained group. The exercise training (initiated 72 hours after the first dose of Dex) was carried out three times a week until the end of the treatment. At the end of this period, the following biochemical assessments were performed: fasting glycemia, oral glucose tolerance test and analysis of the blood lipid profile that included total cholesterol (TC), LDL-c, HDL-c, VLDL-c and triglycerides (TG). The weight of the gastrocnemius muscle, the histopathological analysis of the liver and cardiometabolic indices (TC/HDL-c, LDL-c/HDL-c and TG/HDL-c) were also performed.
Hyperglycemia, lower glucose tolerance, increased TC, LDL-c, VLDL-c, TG, CT/HDL-c, LDL-c/HDL-c and TG/HDL-c, decreased HDL-c, presence of liver steatosis and muscular hypotrophy were observed in the animals treated with Dex. The exercise training reduced hyperglycemia, improved glucose tolerance, decreased dyslipidemia and prevented liver steatosis, muscular hypotrophy and reduced CT/HDL-c, LDL-c/HDL-c and TG/HDL-c ratios. However, there was no significant effect on HDL-c.
The aerobic exercise training have a protective effect against the cardiometabolic alterations induced by the chronic use of glucocorticoids.