The significance of adipocyte-drived cytokines in the preventive effect of exercise on atherosclerosis.

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In this study, we assessed the hypothesis that aerobic exercise training could increase adiponectin, a newly identified adipocyte-drived antiatherogenic plasma protein, in connection with the reduction of body fat, and this increased adiponectin may improve arterial stiffness. We randomly assigned the sedentary middle-aged subjects to two groups : one that enagaged in 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week for 3 months (exercise group), and one age-matched group that underwent no modifications in physical activity (control group). Indices of body fat, serum lipids serum adiponectin levels and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), index of arterial stiffness, were measured at baseline and after 3 months of exercise training or after 3 months of no modifications in activity (control group). Visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) at the umbilical level were determined by computed tomographic scanning. Significant reductions in VFA and SFA were observed following the 3-month excercise training period. Also, there was a significant increase in serum adiponectin levels after the exercising training, however, no significant change was observed in all parameters of the control group. Furthermore, the changes in serum adiponectin levels were correlated with changes in body weeight and VSA as a result of the exercise training. No significant correlation between the changes in serum adiponectin levels and the changes in baPWV was observed after the exercise training. There was a significant correlation between the changes in baPWV and the changes in VFA after the training. From these results, we conclude that a mild aerobic exercise training increase serum adiponectin levels through the reduction of abdominal obesity. The improvement of some factors other than adiponectin in relation to accumulated visceral fat may be resoponsible for the improvement of arterial stiffness after the exercise training.