Exercise-driven exacerbation of inflammation: contribution of animal models of rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis

Low-Intensity Physical Exercise Decreases Inflammation and Joint Damage in the Preclinical Phase of a Rheumatoid Arthritis Murine Model

“…Most studies in animal models of RA dealing with PE focus on the differential effect of diverse types and doses of PE [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ], while its impact on the preclinical phases has scarcely been explored. Animal models of RA demonstrate that PE influences joint pathological processes once arthritis is established; however, its effects are not conclusive [ 15 ]. Although positive outcomes of PE have been described, including the decrease in arthritis severity [ 32 , 34 ] and the down-expression of inflammatory genes and pathways [ 16 ], the exacerbation of joint damage by PE has also been reported [ 17 , 31 , 35 ].…”

“…In this regard, animal models of RA provide a valuable tool for exploring this field. We have recently reviewed the topic [ 15 ], finding that, in animal models of RA, PE can potentially exacerbate the joint inflammatory process; however, the information is inconclusive as some studies have also shown a beneficial effect. In our review, we described how the differential metabolic and immune effects of PE are dependent on numerous extent variables, including the animal model (species, strain, and type of arthritis induction), the type of PE (aerobic or anaerobic), the intensity (low-, moderate- or high-intensity), the time of intervention (morning and night), the use of stimulus (voluntary and forced), and the duration (acute and chronic) [ 15 ].…”