Effects of exercise training on smoking-induced cardiopulmonary diseases. A review of the physiological mechanisms

Ivan Rodriguez Núñez; Ximena Navarro; Marcelo González; Carlos Manterola; Fernando Romero; Ruy Campos

doi:10.33155/j.ramd.2019.10.003

Ivan Rodriguez Núñez Department of Kinesiology. School of Medicine. University of Concepción. School of Kinesiology. Faculty of Health Sciences. San Sebastian University. Conception. Chile.
Ximena Navarro Pediatric Service. Dr. Guillermo Grant Benavente Hospital. Conception. Chile.
Marcelo González Vascular Physiology Laboratory. Biological Sciences Faculty. University of Concepción. Research and Innovation Group in Vascular Health (GRIVAS-Health). Chile.
Carlos Manterola Department of Surgery and CEMyQ. University of La Frontera. Temuco Biomedical Research Center Autonomous University of Chile. Chile.
Fernando Romero Laboratory of Neurosciences and Peptide Biology CEBIOR-CEGIN BIOREN. Department of Preclinical Sciences. School of Medicine. UFRO. Temuco. Chile.
Ruy Campos Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory. Paulista School of Medicine. Federal University of Sao Paulo. Brazil.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33155/j.ramd.2019.10.003

Keywords: Tobacco, Nicotine, Inflammation, Mediators of inflammation, Oxidative stress, Lung, Blood vessels, Endothelium, Exercise, Physical effort

Abstract

Objective: Cigarette smoking triggers a plethora of biological mechanisms that promote the development of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Some preclinical studies have shown that exercise training could be effective in blunting oxidative stress and inflammatory response induced by cigarette smoking. Therefore, we aim to analyze the effect of exercise training on pulmonary and cardiovascular system in experimental models of cigarette smoking.

Methods: A systematic search was performed in order to identify studies addressed to evaluate the effects of exercise training on pulmonary and/or cardiovascular damage induced by cigarette smoking in animal models.

Results: fourteen articles were identified, all of them performed in rats or mice. Running and swimming were the only training methods and whole-body smoke exposition was the most prevalent smoking protocol used in the studies.

Conclusion: The studies support the hypothesis that exercise training performed before, concurrently or after smoking can blunt or even revert the oxidative stress and inflammatory response in animals exposed to cigarette smoke, which could contribute to recovering its cardiovascular and respiratory function.