• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.41-46
• /
• 2012

Arabinoxylan (Ara) rice bran has been shown to be a potent biological response modifier as manifested by stimulation of different arms of the immune system. We examined the effects of Ara rice bran and exercise on the immune function and cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated rats. As the results, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ as representative inflammatory cytokines showed a significantly lower in Ara supplement group, thus the Ara rice bran had a higher inhibitory activity than the both exercise and control group. However, 4 weeks of exercise training significantly increased inflammatory reactions rather than treatment with Ara in LPS-treated rats. The Ara rice bran acted to decrease the inflammatory reaction. These results suggest that the supplement of Ara rice bran is likely contribute to inflammation response and the Ara rice bran can be used as a possible safe alternative to the immunotherapeutic modalities.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.6 no.6
• /
• pp.513-519
• /
• 2012

Aged garlic extract (AGE) is known to have a protective effect against immune system, endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammation. We examined the effects of exercise with and without aged garlic extract administration on body weight, lipid profiles, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress marker in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a HFD (HFD, n = 40) or a normal diet (ND, n = 5) for 6 weeks and thereafter randomized into ND (n = 5), HFD (n = 10), HFD with AGE (n = 10), HFD with Exercise (n = 10), or HFD with Exercise+AGE (n = 10) for 4 weeks. AGE groups were administered at a dose of 2.86 g/kg body weight, orally. Exercise consisted of running 15-60 min 5 days/week with gradually increasing intensity. AGE (P<0.01), Exercise, and Exercise+AGE (P<0.001) attenuated body weight gain and food efficiency ratio compared to HFD. Visceral fat and liver weight gain were attenuated (P<0.05) with all three interventions with a greater effect on visceral fat in the Exercise+AGE than AGE (P<0.001). In reducing visceral fat (P<0.001), epididymal fat (P<0.01) and liver weight (P<0.001), Exercise+AGE was effective, but exercise showed a stronger suppressive effect than AGE. Exercise+AGE showed further additive effects on reducing visceral fat and liver weight (P<0.001). AGE significantly attenuated the increase in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol compared with HFD (P<0.05). Exercise+AGE attenuated the increase in triglycerides compared with HFD (P<0.05). Exercise group significantly decrease in C-reactive protein (P<0.001). These results suggest that AGE supplementation and exercise alone have anti-obesity, cholesterol lowering, and anti-inflammatory effects, but the combined intervention is more effective in reducing weight gain and triglycerides levels than either intervention alone.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.226-231
• /
• 2012

The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of a 12 weeks aged garlic extract (AGE) regimen with regular exercise on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in postmenopausal women. A total of 30 postmenopausal women ($54.4{\pm}5.4$ years) were randomly divided into the following four groups: Placebo (Placebo; n = 6), AGE intake (AGEI; n = 8), exercise and placebo (Ex + Placebo; n = 8), exercise and AGE (Ex + AGE; n = 8) groups. The AGE group consume 80 mg per day, and exercise groups performed moderate exercise (aerobic and resistance) three times per week. After 12 weeks of treatment, body composition, lipid profile, and CVD risk factors were analyzed. Body weight was significantly decreased in AGEI, Ex + Placebo, and Ex + AGE groups compared to baseline. Body fat % was significantly decreased in the AGEI and Ex + Placebo groups. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly decreased in the AGEI, Ex + Placebo, and Ex + AGE groups. Fat-free mass was significantly decreased in the AGEI group. Total cholesterol (TC) was significantly lower in the Ex + Placebo compared to the Placebo group. AGE supplementation or exercise effectively reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C). Triglyceride (TG) was significantly increased in the AGEI group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly decreased in the AGEI, Ex + Placebo, and Ex + AGE compared to the placebo group. AGE supplementation reduced homocysteine levels regardless of whether the women also exercised. The present results suggest that AGE supplementation reduces cardiovascular risk factors independently of exercise in postmenopausal women.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.203-209
• /
• 2009

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a common white matter lesion affecting the neonatal brains. PVL is closely associated with cerebral palsy (CP). It has been suggested that maternal or placental infection can induce damage to the neonatal brains. In the present study, we investigated the effects of treadmill running and swimming of rat pups on the GFAP and MBP expressions in the brains of rat pups with maternal lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced CP. The rats were divided into the six groups for experiment 1: the control group, the control with mild exercise group, the control with moderate exercise group, the LPS-treated group, the LPS-treated with mild exercise group, and the LPS-treated with moderate exercise group (n=6 in each group). The rats in the running groups were forced to run on a motorized treadmill for 30 min 5 times a week for 4 weeks. For experiment 2, the rats were divided into four groups: the control group, the LPS-treated group, the LPS-treated with swimming group, and the LPS-treated with treadmill running group (n = 5 in each group). The rats in the swimming group were made to swim for 30 min once a day for 5 times per week during 2 weeks. The rats in the treadmill running group were made to run for 30 min once a day for 5 times per week during 2 weeks. The present results showed that intracervical maternal LPS injection during pregnancy significantly increased GFAP expression in the striatum and significantly decreased MBP expression in the corpus callosum of rat pups. The present results also showed that treadmill running and swimming significantly suppressed GFAP expression and significantly enhanced MBP expression in the brains of rat pups with maternal LPS-induced CP. This effect of treadmill running was shown as equally both in the mild-intensity exercise and in the moderate-intensity exercise. The present study revealed that exercise, both the treadmill running and swimming, is effective for the treatment of astrogliosis and hypomyelination associated with CP. Here in this study, we showed that treadmill running and swimming are effective for alleviating the detrimental effects of CP.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.263-267
• /
• 2007

We have previously demonstrated that the level of leukocytes and neutrophils significantly increased immediately and 30 min after exercise. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is an inflammatory cytokine that acts as a chemokine on neutrophils. In the present study, we evaluated the correlation between the number of neutrophils and leukocytes, and between the number of neutrophils and plasma IL-8 level. Long-distance trained runners (TRs, n = 10) and untrained sedentary control subjects (SEDs, n = 10) ran for one hour at 70% of heart rate reserve. In the TR, the number of neutrophils correlated significantly with the number of leukocytes in the blood. However, there was no correlation between the number of neutrophils and the plasma IL-8 concentration in both groups. Expressions of IL-8 protein and mRNA were markedly higher in the TRs as compared to the SEDs at three time intervals (pre-exercise, immediately after exercise, and post exercise). In conclusion, our results show that 1) the neutrophil level was dependent on the level of leukocytes 2) there was no correlation between the neutrophils count and plasma IL-8 concentration and 3) a higher plasma IL-8 level in athletes may be a unique characteristic of intensive training.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.43-51
• /
• 1996

This study was aimed to elucidate the changes in heart rate variability during treadmill exercise at various speeds and grades by spectral analysis. Thirty-three untrained male college students aged $20{\sim}26\;yr $were employed to exercise on a treadmill using 4 speeds (4.02, 5.47, 6.76 and 8.05 km/h) and 6 grades (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20%). A fixed speed was selected for each session with the grade increased every 3 min. The electrocardiogram, respiration and the stepping activity were continuously recorded through an A/D converter system on the computer disk. Power spectra of heart rate variability (RRV) were obtained by use of a fast Fourier transform algorithm. The frequency domain was divided into 3 bands: $VLF\;(0{\sim}0.04\;Hz),\;LF\;(0.04 {\sim}0.15\;Hz)\;and\;HF\;(0.15{\sim}1.00\;Hz).$ Heart rate was $74.4{\pm}2.1\;beats/min$ at rest and showed a steady increase during treadmill exercise with increasing speed and grade up to $196.7{\pm}5.0\;beats/min.$ Total power of HRV was $35.0{\pm}6.7\;(beats/min)^{2}$ at rest and progressively decreased during exercise down to $1.9{\pm}0.3\;(beats/min)^{2}.$ The %VLF power of HRV was $34.5{\pm}3.7\; %$ at rest and showed no significant change during exercise except for a decrease observed at the highest intensity of exercise. The %LF power was $44.1{\pm}3.0\;%$ at rest and showed a progressive decrease down to $4.5{\pm}1.0\;%$ during those stages of exercise where heart rate was over 135 beats/min. The %HF power was $21.4{\pm}2.9\;%$ at rest and showed a progressive increase up to $87.1{\pm}6.7\;%$ during higher intensity exercise where heart rate was over 165 beats/min. Peak frequency of HF band was $0.200{\pm}0.018\;Hz$ at rest and was shifted to higher frequencies up to $0.909{\pm}0.048\;Hz$ at heart rates greater than 135 beats/min. Respiratory frequency was $18.0{\pm}1.5$ breaths/min at rest and significantly increased during exercise up to $53.0{\pm}3.7$ breaths/min. Stride frequency during treadmill exercise showed an increasing tendency with increasing speed from $55.6{\pm}0.9$ steps/min at 4.02 km/h to $81.2{\pm}0.6$ at 8.05 km/h. It was concluded that total power of HRV decreased progressively with increasing exercise intensity due to the withdrawal of parasympathetic activity. At higher exercise intensity, % LF power decreased and %HF power increased with its peak frequency shifted to higher values in a progressive mode with increasing speed and grade, reflecting a readjustment in the cardiovascular system and the increased respiration and its rate, respectively.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.177-182
• /
• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Irisin, a newly identified hormone, is associated with energy homeostasis. We investigated whether aged garlic extract (AGE) and exercise training intervention could improve body weight, insulin sensitivity, skeletal muscle fibronectin domain containing protein 5 (FNDC-5) levels, and plasma irisin in high-fat diet (HFD). MATERIALS/METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a ND (normal diet, n=5) or HFD (n=28) for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, all rats were divided into 5 groups for the next 4 weeks: ND, (normal diet, n=5), HFD (high-fat diet, n=7), HFDA (high-fat diet + aged garlic extract, n=7), HFDE (high-fat diet + exercise, n=7), and HFDEA (high-fat diet + exercise + aged garlic extract, n=7). Exercise groups performed treadmill exercises for 15-60 min, 5 days/week, and AGE groups received AGE (2.86 g/kg, orally injected) for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Significant decreases in body weight were observed in the ND, HFDE, and HFDEA groups, as compared with the HFD group. Neither intervention affected the masses of the gastrocnemius muscle or liver. There were no significant differences in glucose levels across the groups. The homeostatic model assessments of insulin resistance were significantly higher in the HFD group, as compared with the ND, HFDA, HFDE, and HFDEA groups. However, skeletal muscle FNDC-5 levels and plasma irisin concentrations were unaffected by AGE or exercise in obese rats. AGE supplementation and exercise training did not affect skeletal muscle FNDC-5 or plasma irisin, which are associated with insulin sensitivity in obese rats. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the protection against HFD-induced increases in body fat/weight and insulin resistance that are provided by AGE supplementation and exercise training may not be mediated by the regulation of FNDC-5 or irisin.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.211-216
• /
• 2014

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, unfolded protein response (UPR), and mitochondrial biogenesis were assessed following varying intensities of exercise training. The animals were randomly assigned to receive either low- (LIT, n=7) or high intensity training (HIT, n=7), or were assigned to a control group (n=7). Over 5 weeks, the animals in the LIT were exercised on a treadmill with a $10^{\circ}$ incline for 60 min at a speed of 20 m/min group, and in the HIT group at a speed of 34 m/min for 5 days a week. No statistically significant differences were found in the body weight, plasma triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels across the three groups, but fasting glucose and insulin levels were significantly lower in the exercise-trained groups. Additionally, no statistically significant differences were observed in the levels of PERK phosphorylation in skeletal muscles between the three groups. However, compared to the control and LIT groups, the level of BiP was lower in the HIT group. Compared to the control group, the levels of ATF4 in skeletal muscles and CHOP were significantly lower in the HIT group. The HIT group also showed increased PGC-$1{\alpha}$ mRNA expression in comparison with the control group. Furthermore, both of the trained groups showed higher levels of mitochondrial UCP3 than the control group. In summary, we found that a 5-week high-intensity exercise training routine resulted in increased mitochondrial biogenesis and decreased ER stress and apoptotic signaling in the skeletal muscle tissue of rats.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.173-182
• /
• 2011

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-related mental disorder induced by severe external stressors such as assault, disaster or severe accident. We investigated the effects of treadmill exercise on short-term memory in relation to apoptosis and cell proliferation in the hippocampus following PTSD. Stress to the pregnant rats was induced by exposure of maternal rats to the hunting dog in an enclosed room. Exposure time was 10 min, repeated three times per day, with 1 hour interval. Exposure of maternal rats to the hunting dog was continued 7 days after pregnancy until delivery. The pregnant rats in the exercise groups were forced to run on a treadmill for 30 min once a day for the same duration of stress exposure. Step-down avoidance task for short-term memory, western blot for Bcl-2, Bax, and immunohistochemistry for caspase-3, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), and Ki-67 were conducted. Maternal rats exposed to stress during pregnancy showed short-term memory impairment. Expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, ratio of Bax to Bcl-2, and caspase-3 in the hippocampus were increased in the PTSD rats. Cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus was decreased in the PTSD rats. Treadmill exercise alleviated short-term memory impairment and suppressed expressions of Bax, the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2, and caspase-3. Treadmill exercise also increased cell proliferation. The present results indicate that treadmill exercise alleviated PTSD-induced short-term memory impairment by suppressing apoptotic cell death and enhancing cell proliferation in the hippocampus.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.23-28
• /
• 2009

The expression of c-Fos and c-Jun represents neuronal activity and plays a crucial role in the shaping of the development of brain. During the late pregnancy, exercise is known to influence neuronal activity of offspring. In the present study, the effect of swimming during pregnancy on the expression of c-Fos and c-Jun in the CA1, CA2, CA3 regions, and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus of rat offspring was investigated using immunohistochemistry. Pregnant rats in the swimming group were forced to swim for 10 min once a day from 15 days after pregnancy until delivery. The expression of c-Fos and c-Jun in the CA1, CA2, CA3 regions, and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus of pups was significantly increased by maternal swimming during late pregnant period. The present results show that prenatal swimming may enhance the neuronal activity of pups and affect the neonatal brain development.