Aerobic Exercise Suppresses Atherosclerosis Through Adiponectin-Nuclear Transcription Factor κB Pathway in Apolipoprotein E-deficient Mice.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of aerobic exercise on atherosclerosis (AS) in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice and the adiponectin (ApN)-nuclear transcription factor κB (NF-κB) pathway involved in the related anti-inflammation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: ApoE-deficient mice with AS (AS+C), and ApoE-deficient mice with AS and aerobic exercise (AS+E) were investigated for body weight and visceral fat. Pathomorphology of the aortic vascular wall was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated with hematoxylin-eosin staining. The ApN messenger RNA level in adipose tissue and ApN level in plasma were determined. The aortic adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) and NF-κB levels were determined with western blot.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in body weight between the AS+C and the AS+E groups, but visceral fat in the AS+E group was significantly smaller than that in the AS+C group. Aortic vascular wall fiber board in the AS+C group broke, but this aortic disease in the AS+E group was obviously alleviated. The AS+E group showed a smaller neointimal hyperplasia and plaque area compared with AS+C group. After a high-fat diet, the ApN levels in both adipose tissue and plasma were decreased in the AS+C group and returned to a relative high level in the AS+E group. The expression of AdipoR1 protein in the AS+C group was significantly lower than those in the AS+E group. As for NF-κB protein, its enhanced expression in the AS+C group was reversed to a relatively low level in the AS+E group.

CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic exercise suppressed AS through the ApN-NF-κB pathway in ApoE-deficient mice.