Resistance Exercise Modulates Oxidative Stress Parameters and TNF-α Content in the Heart of Mice with Diet-Induced Obesity.

Background: Obesity can be characterized by low-grade chronic inflammation and is associated with an excesso production of reactive oxygen species, factors that contribute to coronary heart disease and other cardiomyopathies.

Objective: To verify the effects of resistance exercise training on oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters on mice with obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD).

Methods: 24 Swiss mice were divided into 4 groups: standard diet (SD), SD + resistance exercise (SD + RE), diet-induced obesity (DIO), DIO + RE. The animals were fed SD or HFD for 26 weeks and performed resistance exercises in the last 8 weeks of the study. The insulin tolerance test (ITT) and body weight monitoring were performed to assess the clinical parameters. Oxidative stress and inflammation parameters were evaluated in the cardiac tissue. Data were expressed by mean and standard deviation (p < 0.05).

Results: The DIO group had a significant increase in reactive oxygen species levels and lipid peroxidation with reduction after exercise. Superoxide dismutase and the glutathione system showed no significant changes in DIO animals, with an increase in SD + RE. Only catalase activity decreased with both diet and exercise influence. There was an increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the DIO group, characterizing a possible inflammatory condition, with a decrease when exposed to resistance training (DIO+RE).

Conclusion: The DIO resulted in a redox imbalance in cardiac tissue, but the RE was able to modulate these parameters, as well as to control the increase in TNF-α levels.