Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 22, Issue 24, 2016

Background: The concept of the muscle as a secretory organ, developed during the last decades, partially answers to the issue of how the crosstalk between skeletal muscle and distant tissues happens. The beneficial effects of exercise transcend the simple improved skeletal muscle functionality: systemic responses to exercise have been observed in distal organs like heart, kidney, brain and liver. Increasing data have accumulate Read More

Background: Oxidative stress is involved in different pathophysiological states, such as aging, inflammatory, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, by damaging several cellular and tissue components including proteins, DNA and lipids. On the other hand, free radicals generated during physical activity are important modulators of muscle contraction, antioxidant protection, and oxidative damage repair. Indeed, ROS, gen Read More

Background: The 20th and 21st centuries are marked by an increase in life expectancy on one hand and on the other hand by the increase of so called civilization diseases. Their share one common trait: the energy metabolism imbalance, with low energy expenditure and high energy uptake. Our age can be viewed as the age of inactivity and wealth. Methods: The aim of the present review is to highlight the influence of habitu Read More

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is considered a silent epidemic with a continuously growing prevalence around the world. Due to uremia many functional and morphological abnormalities occur in almost all systems. Mostly affected, the cardiovascular system, leads to diminished cardiac function that affects patients’ functional capacity and physical activity levels, reducing survival and increasing all-cause mortality Read More

Background: Aging and low physical activity are associated with the development of diseases (hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity) marked by chronic low-grade inflammation. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death worldwide, while exercising muscle tissue can increase the secretion of myokines that can reestablish a possible inflammatory process in virtue of the anti-inflammatory effect. M Read More

Background: An individual's level of physical activity is one of a set of lifestyle and behavioral factors that can affect immune function and health. Methods: The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge in this research field and to review the recent developments in exercise immunology. Results: Most studies show that regular exercise training increases immune competence and reduces the risk of in Read More

Background: Physical activity has been shown to be associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease but the same effect seems to be produced in neurological diseases. Objective: In this review, we focused on the interplay between physical activity and some neurological conditions (Stroke, dementia, epilepsy, headache, Parkinson’ s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, depression and a Read More

Depression is a major medical and social problem. Here we review current body of knowledge on the benefits of exercise as an effective strategy for both the prevention and treatment of this condition. We also analyze the biological pathways involved in such potential benefits, which include changes in neurotrophic factors, oxidative stress and inflammation, telomere length, brain volume and microvessels, neurotransmitters Read More