Emerging roles of pro-resolving lipid mediators in immunological and adaptive responses to exercise-induced muscle injury.

ABSTRACT

Lipid mediators are bioactive metabolites of the essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that play diverse roles inthe initiation, self-limitation, and active resolution of inflammation. Prostaglandins, classical pro-inflammatory lipid metabolites of arachidonic acid, have long been implicated in immunological and adaptive muscle responses to acute injury and exercise-induced stress. More recently, PUFA metabolites have been discovered during the resolution phase of inflammation which collectively function as endogenous 'stop signals' to control inflammation whilst actively promoting the return to a non-inflamed state. The apparent self-resolving nature of inflammatory responses holds important implications for contexts of musculoskeletal injury, exercise recovery, and chronic inflammatory diseases originati ng in or impacting upon muscle. 'Anti-inflammatory' interventions that strive to control inflammation via antagonism of pro-inflammatory signals are currently commonplace in efforts to hasten muscle recovery from damaging or exhaustive exercise, as well as to relieve the pain associated with musculoskeletal injury. However, the scientific literature does not clearly support a benefit of this anti-inflammatory approach. Additionally, recent evidence suggests that strategies to block pro-inflammatory lipid mediator pathways (e.g. NSAIDs) may be counterintuitive and inadvertently derange or impair timely resolution of inflammation; with potentially deleterious implications on skeletal muscle remodelling. The current review will provide an overview of the current understanding of diverse roles of bioactive lipid mediators in the initiation, control, and active resolution of acute inflammation. The established and putative roles of lipid mediators in mediating immunological and adapt ive skeletal muscle responses to acute muscle injury and exercise-induced muscle load/stress will be discussed.