Treadmill exercise ameliorates ethanol with lipopolysaccharide and carbon tetrachloride-mediated liver injury in mice.

Abstract

We reported that application of ethanol with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) enhanced alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level. In the current experiment, the protective effect of treadmill running on liver injury caused by ethanol with LPS and CCl4 in mice was studied. Liver injury severity was determined by measuring ALT and AST level in the blood. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, immunohistochemistry for caspase-3, and Western blotting for Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were performed to indicate hepatocyte apoptosis. In addition, to understand the mechanism, 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation was studied by Western blotting. Treadmill exercise ameliorated ethanol with LPS and CCl4-mediated elevation of ALT and AST level. Treadmill exercise suppressed ethanol with LPS and CCl4-mediated elevation of the TUNEL-positive cell number and cleaved caspase-3 expression. Treadmill exercise suppressed ethanol with LPS and CCl4-mediated elevation of Bax expression and increased Bcl-2 expression suppressed by application of ethanol with LPS and CCl4. Treadmill exercise enhanced AMPK phosphorylation which was suppressed by application of ethanol with LPS and CCl4. Treadmill exercise has the effect of reducing liver damage caused by alcohol and or drug addiction.