Flexibility and Strength Effects of Adapted Nordic Walking and Myofascial Exercises Practice in Breast Cancer Survivors and Analysis of Differences.

Breast cancer treatments can elicit negative kinesiological side effects concerning both the posture and functional status of breast cancer survivors. As our body is functionally organized in myofascial meridians, physical exercise practice should favor a whole-body approach rather than a local one. The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the effects of two whole-body disciplines, i.e., adapted Nordic Walking and myofascial exercise, on the flexibility and strength performances in BCS. One hundred and sixty breast cancer survivors were trained three times per week for 12 weeks through adapted Nordic Walking or myofascial exercise. Handgrip, sit and reach, back scratch, and single leg back bridge tests and body composition were assessed at the beginning and completion of the training period. Linear mixed models showed no significant changes in body composition, whereas flexibility (p < 0.001), strength (p < 0.001), and muscle quality index (p = 0.003) changed independently from the treatment. When data modification has been analyzed according to sub-sample membership, no significant differences have been observed. Age, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy seem to have independent effects on several investigated variables. Twelve weeks of adapted myofascial exercise and Nordic Walking led to significant changes in flexibility, strength, and muscle quality in breast cancer survivors, with no apparent superiority of one approach over the other.

Betaine Treatment Prevents TNF-α-Mediated Muscle Atrophy by Restoring Total Protein Synthesis Rate and Morphology in Cultured Myotubes.

Skeletal muscle atrophy is represented by a dramatic decrease in muscle mass, and it is related to a lower life expectancy. Among the different causes, chronic inflammation and cancer promote protein loss through the effect of inflammatory cytokines, leading to muscle shrinkage. Thus, the availability of safe methods to counteract inflammation-derived atrophy is of high interest. Betaine is a methyl derivate of glycine and it is an important methyl group donor in transmethylation. Recently, some studies found that betaine could promote muscle growth, and it is also involved in anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Our hypothesis was that betaine would be able to prevent tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-mediated muscle atrophy in vitro. We treated differentiated C2C12 myotubes for 72 hr with either TNF-α, betaine, or a combination of them. After the treatment, we analyzed total protein synthesis, gene expression, and myotube morphology. Betaine treatment blunted the decrease in muscle protein synthesis rate exerted by TNF-α, and upregulated Mhy1 gene expression in both control and myotube treated with TNF-α. In addition, morphological analysis revealed that myotubes treated with both betaine and TNF-α did not show morphological features of TNF-α-mediated atrophy. We demonstrated that in vitro betaine supplementation counteracts the muscle atrophy led by inflammatory cytokines.

Resveratrol Enhances the Cytotoxic Activity of Lymphocytes from Menopausal Women.

Nutraceuticals and functional foods are the main sources of antioxidants and have positive effects on health through regulation of the redox balance. Accordingly, they represent a useful nutritional source for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Menopausal women have an increased risk of developing NCDs due to hormonal dysregulation and the ongoing aging process. Accordingly, a healthy lifestyle and good nutritional habits are of utmost importance in this population. Resveratrol (RSV) is a natural polyphenol, and it is used as a nutraceutical given its estrogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of RSV on the lymphocyte cytotoxicity in menopausal women. Lymphocytes from 13 healthy menopausal women (56.18 ± 4.24 years) were isolated, and then cocultured with hTERT-HME1, a breast cell line with a precancerous phenotype. The results showed that, when treated with RSV, lymphocytes significantly increased the TNF-α production (p < 0.001), the formation of immune synapses (p = 0.009), and the target cell lysis (p = 0.002). No effects were detected in the lymphocyte total antioxidant capacity. In conclusion, RSV might enhance the immune surveillance in menopausal women by increasing the cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes.

Objectively Measured Physical Activity Increases Only in Males During a Summer Camp for Obese Children.

Childhood obesity is a major public health challenge. Summer camps for children with obesity represent an alternative setting to improve eating and physical activity habits. Here we evaluated if the participation in the camp improves objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior and whether there are differences between male and female participants. Twenty-eight children, 13 males and 15 females (body mass index >97° centile, weight excess >30%, Tanner stage I), agreed to participate in an 8-day camp. During the summer camp, children participated in sports-like games and outdoor activities for at least 3 h a day, and the school-camp staff also provided a theoretical nutritional learning plan. Accelerometry-derived physical activity was measured through the SenseWear Mini Armband during a week at home and during the camp experience. Before camping, the participants were far above the minimum daily values of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) to be considered sufficiently active (≥60 min/day), but male participants were more active than females (MVPA: 186.2 ± 94.2, 111.0 ± 64.7; P = 0.020). Male participants increased their MVPA (234.3 ± 114.8, P = 0.020), whereas females not (111.9 ± 52.9, P = 0.020). No difference emerged for the sedentary behavior either before or during the camp. This study suggests that participation in a summer camp for obese children can determine different responses in physical activity levels, depending on the sex of young participants. Thus, summer camps for obese children should put particular attention on female participants, besides reducing sedentary behavior in both males and females.

Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Unveil an Unexpected Differentiation Potential toward the Dopaminergic Neuronal Lineage.

Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons represents the cause of many neurodegenerative diseases, with increasing incidence worldwide. The replacement of dead cells with new healthy ones may represent an appealing therapeutic approach to these pathologies, but currently, only pluripotent stem cells can generate dopaminergic neurons with high efficiency. However, with the use of these cells arises safety and/or ethical issues. Human mesenchymal stromal cells (hFM-MSCs) are perinatal stem cells that can be easily isolated from the amniochorionic membrane after delivery. Generally considered multipotent, their real differentiative potential is not completely elucidated. The aim of this study was to analyze their stemness characteristics and to evaluate whether they may overcome their mesenchymal fate, generating dopaminergic neurons. We demonstrated that hFM-MSCs expressed embryonal genes OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, KLF4, OVOL1, and ESG1, suggesting they have some features of pluripotency. Moreover, hFM-MSCs that underwent a dopaminergic differentiation protocol gradually increased the transcription of dopaminergic markers LMX1b, NURR1, PITX3, and DAT. We finally obtained a homogeneous population of cells resembling the morphology of primary midbrain dopaminergic neurons that expressed the functional dopaminergic markers TH, DAT, and Nurr1. In conclusion, our results suggested that hFM-MSCs retain the expression of pluripotency genes and are able to differentiate not only into mesodermal cells, but also into neuroectodermal dopaminergic neuron-like cells.

Decellularized Extracellular Matrices and Cardiac Differentiation: Study on Human Amniotic Fluid-Stem Cells.

Cell therapy with a variety of stem populations is increasingly being investigated as a promising regenerative strategy for cardiovascular (CV) diseases. Their combination with adequate scaffolds represents an improved therapeutic approach. Recently, several biomaterials were investigated as scaffolds for CV tissue repair, with decellularized extracellular matrices (dECMs) arousing increasing interest for cardiac tissue engineering applications. The aim of this study was to analyze whether dECMs support the cardiac differentiation of CardiopoieticAF stem cells. These perinatal stem cells, which can be easily isolated without ethical or safety limitations, display a high cardiac differentiative potential. Differentiation was previously achieved by culturing them on Matrigel, but this 3D scaffold is not transplantable. The identification of a new transplantable scaffold able to support CardiopoieticAF stem cell cardiac differentiation is pivotal prior to encouraging translation of in vitro studies in animal model preclinical investigations. Our data demonstrated that decellularized extracellular matrices already used in cardiac surgery (the porcine CorTMPATCH and the equine MatrixPatchTM) can efficiently support the proliferation and cardiac differentiation of CardiopoieticAF stem cells and represent a useful cellular scaffold to be transplanted with stem cells in animal hosts.

Cardiomyocytes Derived from Human CardiopoieticAmniotic Fluids.

Human amniotic fluid (hAF) cells share characteristics of both embryonic and adult stem cells. They proliferate rapidly and can differentiate into cells of all embryonic germ layers but do not form teratomas. Embryoid-bodies obtained from hAF have cardiac differentiation potential, but terminal differentiation to cardiomyocytes (CMs) has not yet been described. Our purpose was to promote cardiac differentiation in hAFcells. Cells were exposed to inducing factors for up to 15 days. Only the subset of hAF cells expressing the multipotency markers SSEA4, OCT4 and CD90 (CardiopoieticAF cells) responded to the differentiation process by increasing the expression of the cardiac transcription factors Nkx2.5 and GATA4, sarcomeric proteins (cTnT, α-MHC, α-SA), Connexin43 and atrial and ventricular markers. Furthermore, differentiated cells were positive for the calcium pumps CACNA1C and SERCA2a, with approximately 30% of CardiopoieticAF-derived CM-like cells responding to caffeine or adrenergic stimulation. Some spontaneous rare beating foci were also observed. In conclusion, we demonstrated that CardiopoieticAF cells might differentiate toward the cardiac lineage giving rise to CM-like cells characterized by several cardiac-specific molecular, structural, and functional properties.

Walking training and cortisol to DHEA-S ratio in postmenopause: An intervention study.

The literature indicates that the plasma cortisol-to-dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) ratio is a marker of health status after menopause, when a decline in both estrogen and DHEA-S and an increase in cortisol occur. An increase in the cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio has been positively correlated with metabolic syndrome, all-cause mortality, cancer, and other diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a walking program on the plasma cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio in postmenopausal women. Fifty-one postmenopausal women participated in a 13-week supervised walking program, in the metropolitan area of Pescara (Italy), from June to September 2013. Participants were evaluated in April-May and September-October of the same year. The linear mixed model showed that the variation of the log10Cortisol-to-log10DHEA-S ratio was associated with the volume of exercise (p = .03). Participants having lower adherence to the walking program did not have a significantly modified log10Cortisol or log10DHEA-S, while those having the highest adherence had a significant reduction in log10Cortisol (p = .016) and a nearly significant increase in log10DHEA-S (p = .084). Walking training appeared to reduce the plasma log10Cortisol-to-log10DHEA-S ratio, although a minimum level of training was necessary to achieve this significant reduction.

Socio-cultural determinants of physical activity across the life course: a 'Determinants of Diet and Physical Activity' (DEDIPAC) umbrella systematic literature review.

OBJECTIVE: Regular physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of disease and premature death. Knowing factors associated with PA might help reducing the disease and economic burden caused by low activity. Studies suggest that socio-cultural factors may affect PA, but systematic overviews of findings across the life course are scarce. This umbrella systematic literature review (SLR) summarizes and evaluates available evidence on socio-cultural determinants of PA in children, adolescents, and adults. METHODS: This manuscript was drafted following the recommendations of the 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses' (PRISMA) checklist. The MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases were searched for SLRs and meta-analyses (MAs) on observational studies published in English that assessed PA determinants between January 2004 and April 2016. The methodological quality was assessed and relevant information on socio-cultural determinants and any associations with PA was extracted. The available evidence was evaluated based on the importance of potential determinants and the strength of the evidence. RESULTS: Twenty SLRs and three MAs encompassing 657 eligible primary studies investigated potential socio-cultural PA determinants, with predominantly moderate methodological quality. Twenty-nine potential PA determinants were identified that were primarily assessed in children and adolescents and investigated the micro-environmental home/household level. We found probable evidence that receiving encouragement from significant others and having a companion for PA were associated with higher PA in children and adolescents, and that parental marital status (living with partner) and experiencing parental modeling were not associated with PA in children. Evidence for the other potential determinants was limited, suggestive, or non-conclusive. In adults, quantitative and conclusive data were scarce. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of SLRs and MAs investigating potential socio-cultural determinants of PA were identified. Our data suggest that receiving social support from significant others may increase PA levels in children and adolescents, whereas parental marital status is not a determinant in children. Evidence for other potential determinants was limited. This was mainly due to inconsistencies in results on potential socio-cultural determinants of PA across reviews and studies. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: This umbrella SLR was recorded on PROSPERO (Record ID: CRD42015010616 ).

Psychological determinants of physical activity across the life course: A "DEterminants of DIet and Physical ACtivity" (DEDIPAC) umbrella systematic literature review.

Low levels of physical activity (PA) are reported to contribute to the occurrence of non-communicable diseases over the life course. Although psychological factors have been identified as an important category concerning PA behavior, knowledge on psychological determinants of PA is still inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this umbrella systematic literature review (SLR) was to summarize and synthesize the scientific evidence on psychological determinants of PA behavior across the life course. A systematic online search was conducted on MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases. The search was limited to studies published in English from January 2004 to April 2016. SLRs and meta-analyses (MAs) of observational studies investigating the association of psychological variables and PA were considered eligible. Extracted data were evaluated based on importance of determinants, strength of evidence, and methodological quality. The full protocol is available from PROSPERO (Record ID: CRD42015010616). Twenty reviews (14 SLRs and 6 MAs), mostly of moderate methodological quality, were found eligible. Convincing evidence was found for self-efficacy (positive association with PA) in children and adolescents, and stress (negative association with PA) regardless of age. Most of the evidence revealing an association between psychological determinants and PA is probable and limited, mainly due to differences in the definition of PA and of psychological determinants across reviews. Thus, scholars are urged to reach a consensus on clear definitions of relevant psychological determinants of PA, subsuming cultural biases and allowing the possibility to obtain clear interpretations and generalizability of findings. Finally, most psychological determinants should be considered within a larger framework of other multi-level determinants that may interact or mediate some of the effects.

Behavioral determinants of physical activity across the life course: a "DEterminants of DIet and Physical ACtivity" (DEDIPAC) umbrella systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Low levels of physical activity (PA) are a global concern and increasing PA engagement is becoming a priority in current public health policies. Despite the large number of studies and reviews available, the evidence regarding the behavioral determinants of PA is still inconclusive. Thus, the aim of this umbrella systematic literature review (SLR) was to summarize the evidence on the behavioral determinants of PA across the life course. METHODS: A systematic online search was conducted on MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases. The search was limited to studies published in English from January, 2004 to April, 2016. SLRs and meta-analyses (MAs) of observational studies that investigated the behavioral determinants of PA were considered eligible. The extracted data were assessed based on the importance of the determinants, the strength of evidence, and the methodological quality. The full protocol is available from PROSPERO (PROSPERO 2014:CRD42015010616). RESULTS: Seventeen reviews on 35 behavioral determinants of PA were eligible for this umbrella SLR. Regardless of age, the most investigated determinants were those related with 'screen use' and 'smoking'. For youth, probable positive evidence emerged for 'previous PA' and 'independent mobility and active transport' among children and adolescents. For the adult population, 'transition to university' and 'pregnancy/having a child' showed probable negative associations. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority of the evidence was limited and most of the determinants were not associated with PA, this umbrella SLR provided a comprehensive overview of the associations between behavioral determinants and PA. Youth should be physically active in the early years and increase active transportation to/from school, independent mobility, and 'free-range activities' without adult supervision, whilst adult PA behaviors are mostly influenced by the life events. Finally, more research is needed that incorporates prospective study designs, standardized definitions of PA, objective measurement methods of PA assessment, and the use of interactionist and mediational approaches for the evaluation of different behavioral determinants influencing PA behaviors.

Psychophysical health status of breast cancer survivors and effects of 12 weeks of aerobic training.

The aim of this study was to analyse the health status of breast cancer survivors and the effects of 12 weeks of aerobic training. Twenty-three breast cancer survivors (51.71 ± 3.17 years) and 23 healthy women (50.73 ± 2.97 years) were investigated for body composition, daily physical activity, quality of life, salivary cortisol, and DHEA-S. Breast cancer survivors were then aerobically trained for 12 weeks. Breast cancer survivors have a worse psychophysical health than healthy women. Aerobic training increased salivary DHEA-S, aerobic fitness, self-reported health, and nocturnal sleeping time and reduced salivary cortisol in breast cancer survivors. Salivary cortisol variation correlated with change of sleeping time and self-reported health. Salivary DHEA-S correlated with change of self-reported physical pain and general health as well. Breast cancer survivors can live in a situation of continuous distress, requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Twelve weeks of aerobic training improve the psychophysical health of breast cancer survivors.

Aerobic Training Improves Angiogenic Potential Independently of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Modifications in Postmenopausal Women.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of walking-training on the balance between pro- and antiangiogenic signals and on the angiogenic potential in postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four postmenopausal women (56.18 ± 4.24 years) participated in a 13 weeks program of walking-training. Anthropometric measures, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein, insulin, IGF-1, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), leptin, visfatin, resistin, and adiponectin were evaluated before and after training. Moreover, serum samples were tested for their ability to chemo-attract endothelial cells and to support the in vitro formation of capillary-like structures. RESULTS: After training, the levels of IL-8, TNF-α, leptin, and resistin were significantly lower, levels of DHEA-S and adiponectin increased, serum angiogenic properties improved, whereas no changes in anthropometric parameters or VEGF were detected. CONCLUSION: Walking training reduces inflammatory status and leads to a significant improvement in serum angiogenic properties in the absence of modifications in body composition and VEGF level.

IL-6 Activates PI3K and PKCζ Signaling and Determines Cardiac Differentiation in Rat Embryonic H9c2 Cells.

INTRODUCTION: IL-6 influences several biological processes, including cardiac stem cell and cardiomyocyte physiology. Although JAK-STAT3 activation is the defining feature of IL-6 signaling, signaling molecules such as PI3K, PKCs, and ERK1/2 are also activated and elicit different responses. Moreover, most studies on the specific role of these signaling molecules focus on the adult heart, and few studies are available on the biological effects evoked by IL-6 in embryonic cardiomyocytes. AIM: The aim of this study was to clarify the biological response of embryonic heart derived cells to IL-6 by analyzing the morphological modifications and the signaling cascades evoked by the cytokine in H9c2 cells. RESULTS: IL-6 stimulation determined the terminal differentiation of H9c2 cells, as evidenced by the increased expression of cardiac transcription factors (NKX2.5 and GATA4), structural proteins (α-myosin heavy chain and cardiac Troponin T) and the gap junction protein Connexin 43. This process was mediated by the rapid modulation of PI3K, Akt, PTEN, and PKCζ phosphorylation levels. PI3K recruitment was an upstream event in the signaling cascade and when PI3K was inhibited, IL-6 failed to modify PKCζ, PTEN, and Akt phosphorylation. Blocking PKCζ activity affected only PTEN and Akt. Finally, the overexpression of a constitutively active form of PKCζ in H9c2 cells largely mimicked the morphological and molecular effects evoked by IL-6. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that IL-6 induces the cardiac differentiation of H9c2 embryonic cells though a signaling cascade that involves PI3K, PTEN, and PKCζ activities.

Novel evidence of ghrelin and growth hormone segretagogue receptor expression by human ocular tissues.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The gastrointestinal peptide hormone ghrelin (Ghr) was discovered in 1999 as the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR-1a). It is a pleiotropic peptide that modulates a wide spectrum of biological activities, such as growth hormone (GH) release, feeding stimulation, adiposity and cardiovascular actions. The presence of Ghr mRNA in the iris and ciliary body (CB) epithelium was recently demonstrated in animal models, where a possible myorelaxing effect on the iris muscles has been suggested. Based on these observations, the aim of our study was to investigate the Ghr and GHSR-1a expression and localization in the normal human eye. MATERIAL: Five different ciliary body/iris samples from normal eyes were subjected to Western blot analysis. Immunohistochemical detection was performed on three enucleated eyes. Twenty aqueous humor (AqH) samples obtained from patients submitted to cataract surgery were analyzed with an ELISA for the presence of Ghr. RESULTS: Ghr and GHSR-1a were co-expressed by the pigmented epithelium (PE) of the CB, by the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and by the anterior limiting layer (ALL) of the iris. No reaction was detected at the subepithelial level in the ciliary or pupillae smooth muscle cells. The AqH samples were positive for the presence of Ghr. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first evidence that Ghr and GHSR-1a are expressed in the human eye by specific cells. The understanding of the functional role of Ghr at the human eye level needs more efforts and investigation, but a hypothetical action on the GH retinal synthesis and/or on the circadian clock system could be suggested.

Biological function and clinical relevance of chromogranin A and derived peptides.

Chromogranin A (CgA (CHGA)) is the major soluble protein co-stored and co-released with catecholamines and can function as a pro-hormone by giving rise to several bioactive peptides. This review summarizes the physiological functions, the pathogenic implications, and the recent use of these molecules as biomarkers in several pathological conditions. A thorough literature review of the electronic healthcare databases MEDLINE, from January 1985 to September 2013, was conducted to identify articles and studies concerned with CgA and its processing. The search strategies utilized keywords such as chromogranin A, vasostatins 1 and 2, chromofungin, chromacin, pancreastatin, catestatin, WE14, chromostatin, GE25, parastatin, and serpinin and was supplemented by the screening of references from included papers and review articles. A total of 209 English-language, peer-reviewed original articles or reviews were examined. The analysis of the retrospective literature suggested that CgA and its several bioactive fragments exert a broad spectrum of regulatory activities by influencing the endocrine, the cardiovascular, and the immune systems and by affecting the glucose or calcium homeostasis. As some peptides exert similar effects, but others elicit opposite responses, the regulation of the CgA processing is critical to maintain homeostasis, whereas an unbalanced production of peptides that exert opposing effects can have a pathogenic role in several diseases. These clinical implications entail that CgA and its derived peptides are now used as diagnostic and prognostic markers or to monitor the response to pharmacological intervention not only in endocrine tumors, but also in cardiovascular, inflammatory, and neuropsychiatric diseases.

Effects of ACE I/D polymorphism and aerobic training on the immune-endocrine network and cardiovascular parameters of postmenopausal women.

CONTEXT: Estrogen deficiency, systemic low-grade inflammation, and reduction of adrenal gland function have central roles in noncommunicable chronic disease (NCD) development. With angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism, the deletion variant (DD) is related to higher levels of circulating angiotensin II than I allele carriers (II/ID), which might interact with all of these molecular pathways to increase NCDs risk. On the other hand, physical exercise counteracts the occurrence of NCDs, potentially acting on the same pathways. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of walking training on adrenal steroid and cytokine levels and on cardiovascular parameters in postmenopausal women with ACE I/D genotypes. METHODS: Thirty-six (DD = 15, II/ID = 21) sedentary postmenopausal women (mean age, 56 ± 4 y) participated in a 13-week program of walking training at moderate intensity. Heart rate, blood pressure, double product, TNF-α, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and cortisol were evaluated before and after the intervention program. RESULTS: Before walking training, the ACE DD genotype showed significantly higher TNF-α (P = .007) and lower DHEA-S concentrations (P = .022) than the ACE II/ID individuals. After walking training, both subgroups significantly decreased TNF-α plasma levels and cortisol/DHEA-S ratio (P = .001 and P = .016, respectively) and significantly increased DHEA-S levels (P < .001). Moreover, all the cardiovascular parameters were significantly reduced in the ACE DD participants (P ≤ .05), whereas the ACE I-allele carriers showed a decrease in heart rate (P ≤ .05) and the double product (P ≤ .05). CONCLUSION: ACE I/D polymorphism is linked to different adrenal steroid and cytokine levels, and ACE I-allele carriers show a better adrenal activity and systemic inflammatory profile. The introduction of walking training positively influences the menopause immune-neuroendocrine changes, independent of ACE I/D genotype.

Walking training affects dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and inflammation independent of changes in spontaneous physical activity.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that physical exercise in postmenopausal women could interfere with the molecular interrelationship of the immune-endocrine system and be effective even in women in whom training determined a reduction of spontaneous physical activity (SPA). For this reason, we investigated the effects of an aerobic program on plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and cytokine levels in relationship to SPA modification. METHODS: Thirty-two postmenopausal women (mean [SD] age, 56.38 [4.33] y) were enrolled in the study. Inclusion criteria were as follows: age younger than 65 years, body mass index higher than 18.5 and lower than 35 kg/m2, no pharmacological treatments, and no history of chronic, cardiovascular, or orthopedic diseases. Before and after 3 months of walking training at moderate intensity (40-50 min, 4 d/wk), they were evaluated for SPA, body composition, energy intake, and levels of plasma cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α [TNF-α], interleukin [IL]-1α, IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-8, and IL-10), C-reactive protein, DHEA-S, cortisol, and estrogen. RESULTS: At baseline, SPA did not correlate with either DHEA-S level or cytokine levels. There was negative correlation between DHEA-S and both TNF-α and IL-2. After the intervention program, 16 women showed increased SPA, and 16 women showed decreased SPA. Independent of these changes in SPA, both TNF-α levels and cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio decreased, whereas DHEA-S levels increased. CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopausal women, walking training, rather than SPA, influences DHEA-S and cytokine concentrations and their correlations, thus interfering with adrenal steroids and the inflammatory markers network. Physical exercise acts in parallel on menopausal neuroendocrine alterations and on the systemic inflammatory profile independent of SPA changes.

Walking training in postmenopause: effects on both spontaneous physical activity and training-induced body adaptations.

OBJECTIVE: Because physical exercise has been widely used for primary and secondary preventions of cardiometabolic diseases arising with menopause, the aim of our study was to determine whether participation in aerobic physical exercise is linked to the modification of spontaneous physical activity and whether this compensation affects aerobic training-related body adaptations. METHODS: Both before and after a 13-week walking training program, 34 postmenopausal women (mean ± SD age, 55.89 ± 3.57 y) were analyzed for lipids, adipokines, glucose, and insulin plasma levels, as well as for body measures, heart rate and blood pressure at rest, maximal aerobic capacity, total daily energy expenditure, mean intensity of daily physical activities, and time and energy spent on physical activities with an intensity of more than three metabolic equivalents. RESULTS: Aerobic training induced significant reductions in body mass, body mass index, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, basal cardiac double product, plasma glucose, leptin, and resistin. Aerobic fitness, the reserve of the cardiac double product, and the quantitative insulin sensitivity index were significantly improved. Cluster analysis of the variations in the total daily energy expenditure, the mean intensity of daily physical activities, and the time and energy spent on physical activities with an intensity of more than three metabolic equivalents identified two subgroups: one showed reduced spontaneous physical activity (GROUP-), whereas the other did not (GROUP+). The subgroups differed significantly only for plasma lipid variation. GROUP+ showed significantly reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol, whereas GROUP- did not show significantly modified plasma lipids. CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopause, participation in a program of aerobic physical exercise can result in a reduction of spontaneous physical activity, which inhibits the positive effects of the aerobic exercise on plasma lipids and lipoproteins.