The practice of exercise has shown to be beneficial to quality of life of individuals with HIV/AIDS. Thus, the present study analysed the effects of a combined exercise training in persons living with HIV/AIDS. Ten participants participated in the present study. The following variables were analysed: viral load and cell counts for TCD4+/TCD8; maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max); total mass, absolute fat mass, relative fat mass, absolute lean mass, relative lean mass and body mass index; fasting glycaemia, fasting insulinaemia, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) index (insulin resistance - homeostatic model assessment (IR-HOMA)); total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL); superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase activities; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. The combined exercise training consisted of resistance exercises plus aerobic training (60 min · session(-1), three times per week, during 20 weeks). The number of TCD4+ cells, absolute lean mass and relative lean mass, muscle strength for the 45° leg press, seated row and triceps extension, HDL-c levels as well as VO2max increased post-training. The activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase enzymes and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels were diminished post-training. Finally, it can be concluded that combined exercise training is able to change positively several variables related to health of individuals with HIV/AIDS, mainly the immune system as well as antioxidant mechanisms re-establishment.

Introduction: Studies which verified the effects of physical exercise on oxidative stress biomarkers and its relation to muscle glycogen are scant. Objective: The present study verified the effects of aerobic swimming training (AST) on biomarkers of oxidative stress, glycogen content and cell growth in the skeletal muscle of rats. Methods: Eighteen male Wistar rats (60 days) were divided into two groups: Sedentary Group (SG; n = 10): sedentary rats; and Trained Group (TG; n = 8): rats subjected to AST (5.0% of body weight), 1h/day, 5x/week, during 8 weeks. The activity of antioxidant enzymes (AOE) superoxide dismutase (SOD; U/ml), catalase (CAT; µmol/min/100mg), glutathione peroxidase (GPx; nmol/min/100mg), and substances that react with thiobarbituric acid levels (TBARs; nmolMDA/ mg protein) were determined in the right gastrocnemius muscle. Glycogen (mg/100mg), protein (g/100g), and DNA (g/100g) contents were evaluated in the left gastrocnemius muscle. Data were analyzed by Student t-test (p < 0.05). Results: AOE activity was higher in the TG group (CAT: 0.87 ± 0.04; SOD: 6.49 ± 0.45; GPX: 6.49 ± 0.52) when compared to SG group (CAT: 0.52 ± 0.03; SOD: 4.10 ± 0.37; GPx: 2.87 ± 0.35). TBARs levels was lower in TG (TG: 2.35 ± 0.45; SG: 8.90 ± 0.47). Gastrocnemius glycogen content (SG: 0.108 ± 0.013; TG: 0.320 ± 0.012) and protein/DNA ratio (SG: 24.94 ± 3.25; TG: 41.68 ± 4.02) were higher in TG group. Conclusion: Altogether, these data provide evidence that AST improved antioxidant defense, which may be associated to higher glycogen content of skeletal muscle of the animals.

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No relationships reported) PURPOSE:The goal of the present study was to analyze the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase as well as a lipid peroxidation biomarker (thiobarbituric acid reactant substances; TBARs) in the skeletal muscle of rats subjected to aerobic swimming exercise. METHODS:Eighteen male Wistar rats (60 days of age at the beginning of the experiment) were used. With 90 days of age, the animals were divided into two groups: Control Group (C; n=10): rats maintained as sedentary controls; Trained Group (T: n=8): rats subjected to aerobic swimming exercise. The exercise protocol consisted of 1h/day of continuous swimming exercise, 5x/week, during 8 weeks. The animals carried out overload equivalent to 5% of body weight. At the end of the experiment, the rats were killed by CO2 inhalation and cervical dislocation; samples of gastrocnemius muscles (200mg) of all rats were collected for antioxidant enzymes activities (Cayman Chemical, Michigan, USA) and lipid peroxidation biomarker (Cayman Chemical, Michigan, USA) determinations. The data were analyzed using "t" Student test (p value of ≤ 0.05) to verify the difference between means. RESULTS:The antioxidant enzymes activities levels were significantly higher in the skeletal muscle of T group [CAT (µmol/min.mg protein): 0.87 ± 0.04; SOD (U/ml): 6.49 ± 0.04; GPx (nmol/min.protein): 6.57 ± 0.52] if compared to C group (CAT: 0.51 ± 0.03; SOD: 4.01 ± 0.37; GPx: 2.94 ± 0.56). On the other hand, the TBARs levels (nmol/mg.protein) were significantly lower in the skeletal muscle of T group (2.34 ± 0.41) when compared to C group (8.94 ± 0.56). CONCLUSION:Our data suggest that the antioxidant mechanisms were improved in the skeletal muscle of rats subjected to chronic aerobic swimming exercise. Such results indicated that regular physical exercise may protect the organism against the oxidative stress caused by the sedentarism condition.Financial Support: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Mato Grosso (Brazilian Foundation; Process number: 450794/2009). (No relationships reported)Doxorubicin is an effective antitumor agent used in cancer treatment. However, doxorubicin can also cause muscle toxicity and can result in significant reduction in skeletal muscle mass and function. The mechanism(s) by which doxorubicin induces toxicity in skeletal muscle is unclear. However, doxorubicininduced toxicity is associated with increased generation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage within muscle fibers. In this regard, autophagy can be induced by oxidative stress and it is also a constitutively active catabolic process that degrades oxidized proteins. PURPOSE:We hypothesized that systemic doxorubicin administration in rats would promote increased autophagy in skeletal muscle as evidenced by increased components of the autophagy system. METHODS:To test this postulate, adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to placebo or doxorubicin groups. The doxorubicin animals received do...