Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Associate Professor, Department of Sport Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
2
M.Sc. Student in Exercise Physiology, Department of Sport Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Sport Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
Abstract
Background and Purpose
Inflammation is present in all stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) due to the activation of the innate and acquired immune systems. Considering the anti-inflammatory role of miR-146a, miR-21, and TLR-2, these variables seem to play an important role in MS. MiR-146a may be effective in remyelination. Overexpression of miR-21 is a characteristic feature of patients with MS. The expression of TLR-2 in oligodendrocytes is increased in MS, which results in the suppression of the remyelination. In summary, miR-146a, miR-21, and TLR-2 are involved in anti-inflammatory processes, remyelination, and regulation of autoimmune responses that may be affected by exercise training. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of eight weeks of combined training on the expression of miR-146a, miR-21, and TLR-2 in women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), which is the most common phenotype of MS.
Materials and Methods
Twenty-three women (20-40 years) with RRMS were randomly divided into an exercise group (N=12) and a control group (N=12). One person from the control group withdrew for personal reasons, and thus 23 patients remained for the final analysis. The sample size was calculated based on the results of a related study and using G*Power software (version 3.1.9.2). The main inclusion criteria were: 1) confirmation of RRMS, 2) EDSS 1 to 4, 3) no corticosteroid treatment in the last three months, 4) ability to participate in exercise, 5) no participation in exercise training in the last six months, and 6) age range of 20 to 40 years. The main exclusion criteria were: 1) exacerbation of MS and 2) the necessity of corticosteroid treatment during the study period. All participants gave their informed consent before entering the study. They were informed about the benefits and risks of the research before signing the consent form. This study was conducted according to the Helsinki Declaration. Exercise group subjects participated in a supervised combined training for eight weeks, including three sessions of aerobic exercise and one session of resistance exercise, but the control group did no exercise during the study period. The aerobic part of the training protocol included walking or slow running, which was performed with an intensity of 40% (1st week) to 70% (8th week) of the maximum heart rate (HRmax). The resistance part of the training protocol included knee flexion and extension, which was done with an intensity of 50% (1st week) to 70% (8th week) of a one-repetition maximum using the exercise machine. The blood expression of miR-146a, miR-21, and TLR-2 were measured before and after eight weeks of combined training using the RT-PCR technique. The data were analyzed with a two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures [group (control group and exercise group) × time (before and after eight weeks)] and Bonferroni's post hoc test at a significance level of less than 0.05.
Results
The subject's general characteristics, miR-146a, miR-21, TLR-2, and EDSS in the exercise group and control were compared in the baseline (pre-test stage) using the independent t-test, and there was no significant difference between the exercise and control groups (p>0.05). Body weight in the exercise group (from 62.21±9.15 to 61.28±9.07 kg) decreased significantly (P=0.005), and in the control group (from 66.07±8.69 to 67.09±9.25 kg) increased significantly (P=0.001) and the difference between groups was significant (P=0.001). After eight weeks of combined training, there was no significant difference in BMI between the exercise and control groups (P=0.215). EDSS in the exercise group decreased (p=0.023) significantly (from 2.25±1.22 to 1.83±1.09), but there was no significant change in the control group (p=0.414), also a significant difference was observed between the exercise and control groups (p=0.015). After eight weeks of combined training, the relative expression level of miR-146a in the control group (p=0.001) and exercise group (p=0.001) had a significant decrease compared to the baseline value (from 10.01±0.86 to 2.60±0.54 in the control group and from 9.22±1.45 to 6.97±0.85 in the exercise group), but the reduce in the exercise group (24.40%) was significantly (p=0.001) less than the control group (74.26%). The relative expression level of miR-21 in the control group (p=0.001) and exercise group (p=0.001) had a significant increase compared to the baseline value after eight weeks of combined training (from 4.46±0.76 to 10.22±1.07 in the control group and from 4.93±0.58 to 6.21±0.98 in the exercise group), but the increasing in the exercise group (25.96%) significantly (p=0.001) was lower than the control group (129.15%). After eight weeks of combined training, the relative expression level of TLR-2 in the control group (p=0.001) and exercise group (p=0.001) increased significantly compared to the baseline value (from 3.75±0.56 to 9.82±1.36 in the control group and from 3.32±0.73 to 5.09±1.61 in the exercise group) and the increase in the exercise group (53.31%), significantly (p=0.001) was lower than the control group (161.87%).
Conclusion
In summary, it seems that the lower decrease in the relative expression of miR-146a and less increase in the relative expression of miR-21 and TLR-2 after eight weeks of combined training may play an effective role in the improvement of RRMS by promoting anti-inflammatory processes, remyelination, and regulation of autoimmune responses. Also, combined training can improve subjects' physical abilities, improve the MS disease, and reduce the possibility of its recurrence, and can be used as a complementary treatment strategy to reduce inflammation in RRMS patients with mild to moderate disability.
Article Message
Combined training can have an effective and positive role in controlling inflammation, remyelination, and regulating autoimmune responses in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis due to the favorable effect on the expression of miR-146a, miR-21, and TLR-2.
Ethical Considerations
The present research, with code IR.SSRC.REC.1398.071, has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Sport Sciences Research Institute of Iran.
Authors’ Contributions
Conceptualization: A.AJ
Data Collection: M.SS and A.AJ
Data Analysis: A.AJ and M.R
Manuscript Writing: A.AJ
Review and Editing: A.AJ
Literature Review: A.AJ, M.SS and M.R
Project Manager: A.AJ
Conflict of Interest
In the current research, there is no conflict of interest with any particular person or organization.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all the participants in this study.
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