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.