New Mechanisms of Gastrointestinal Mucosal Injury and Bleeding Induced by Acute Unpleasant Exercise

Abstract

It remains unclear whether acute unpleasant exercise (AUE) caused by foot shocks leads to gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal injury and bleeding. In this study, we investigated the involvement of inflammatory cytokines in AUE-induced GI mucosal injury/bleeding and oxidative stress by analyzing the expressions of pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines in the hypothalamus and duodenum after foot shocks using PCR. Results showed that the expressions of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS were significantly increased following the process, while IL-10 was not activated. These findings suggest that the activation of inflammatory response system (IRS) is closely related to GI mucosal injury/bleeding and oxidative stress induced by AUE caused by foot shocks.