Skip Navigation

eCAM 2004 1(1):63-70; doi:10.1093/ecam/neh018
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Costa Rosa, L. F. B. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Costa Rosa, L. F. B. P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?


© Oxford University Press, 2004.

Review

Exercise as a Time-conditioning Effector in Chronic Disease: a Complementary Treatment Strategy

Luis F. B. P. Costa Rosa

Laboratory of Metabolism, Department of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Exercise has been widely believed to be a preventive and therapeutic aid in the treatment of various pathophysiological conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. A common problem associated with such pathologies is cachexia, characterized by progressive weight loss and depletion of lean and fat body mass, and is linked to poor prognosis. As this syndrome comprises changes in many physiological systems, it is tempting to assume that the modulation of the psychoneuroimmunoendocrine axis could attenuate or even prevent cachexia progression in cancer patients. Cancer cachexia is characterized by a disruption in the rhythmic secretion of melatonin, an important time-conditioning effector. This hormone, secreted by the pineal gland, transmits circadian and seasonal information to all organs and cells of the body, synchronizing the organism with the photoperiod. Considering that exercise modulates the immune response through at least two different mechanisms—metabolic and neuroendocrine—we propose that the adoption of a regular exercise program as a complementary strategy in the treatment of cancer patients, with the exercise bouts regularly performed at the same time of the day, will ameliorate cachexia symptoms and increase survival and quality of life.

Keywords: exercise – time-conditioning effector – neuroimmunoendocrine system – glutamine – cachexia

For reprints and all correspondence: Luis F.B.P. Costa Rosa, Lab. De Metabolismo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1524, sala 302, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil. E-mail: ggrosa{at}icb.usp.br


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Evid Based Complement Alternat MedHome page
Y. Liu, Z. Jia, L. Dong, R. Wang, and G. Qiu
A Randomized Pilot Study of Atractylenolide I on Gastric Cancer Cachexia Patients
Evid. Based Complement. Altern. Med., September 1, 2008; 5(3): 337 - 344.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Exp Biol MedHome page
A. V. N. Bacurau, M. A. Belmonte, F. Navarro, M. R. Moraes, F. L. Pontes Jr., J. L. Pesquero, R. C. Araujo, and R. F. P. Bacurau
Effect of a High-Intensity Exercise Training on the Metabolism and Function of Macrophages and Lymphocytes of Walker 256 Tumor-Bearing Rats
Exp Biol Med, November 1, 2007; 232(10): 1289 - 1299.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Evid Based Complement Alternat MedHome page
S. Hidaka, Y. Okamoto, S. Uchiyama, A. Nakatsuma, K. Hashimoto, S. T. Ohnishi, and M. Yamaguchi
Royal Jelly Prevents Osteoporosis in Rats: Beneficial Effects in Ovariectomy Model and in Bone Tissue Culture Model
Evid. Based Complement. Altern. Med., September 1, 2006; 3(3): 339 - 348.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.