High intensity exercise preconditioning influences on steroid hormones following the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model

Abstract

Abstract Steroid hormones improve clinical and pathological symptoms using the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition, exercise seems to play an important role in increasing hormones such as 17beta-estradiol and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ). In the present study, we evaluated whether 6 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) prior to induction of EAE increased 17beta-estradiol and ERβ and attenuate the severity of symptoms and/or disease progression in the EAE model. Female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into exercise (EX) and control (Con) groups. After 4 weeks of training, EAE was induced in half of the Con and the EX groups. The EAE-EX group after EAE induction trained for two more weeks. The EX group trained for 6 weeks. Six weeks of HIIT increased 17beta-estradiol and ERβ in the EX group compared to the control group (P ≤ 0.05). The EAE-EX group had a significant increase in 17beta-estradiol and ERβ and a significant decrease in clinical symptoms compared to the EAE group (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, the EAE group had a significant decrease in ERβ (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the control group. Our data demonstrate that 6 week of HIIT increased 17beta-estradiol and ERβ in the cerebellum tissue. These hormones are associated with decrease clinical outcomes and further research is required to examine potential clinical relevance.