Vascular pulsations stimulating nitric oxide release during cyclic exercise may benefit health: A molecular approach (Review)

  • Authors:
    • George B. Stefano
    • Vincent Prevot
    • Patrick Cadet
    • Irving Dardik
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: February 1, 2001     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.7.2.119
  • Pages: 119-129
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Abstract

It is widely assumed that all exercise, regardless of the degree of difficulty or strenuousness, is good (no pain-no gain). In this speculative review of the literature and our research findings we highlight the fact that strenuous exercise taken to the extreme initiates an immune and vascular proinflammatory situation. However, mild cyclic exercise appears to produce health benefits for an individual. In part, this is due to vascular cyclic pulsations, occurring in mild exercise, stimulating constitutive nitric oxide synthase derived nitric oxide release. This in turn down-regulates vascular endothelial cells and immunocytes, as well as their interaction and inhibits the disassociation of NF-κB, preventing the production of proinflammatory cytokines. The nitric oxide so generated may even scavenge excess free radicals, preventing tissue damage. Prolonged strenuous exercise appears to limit these positive phenomena because of the maintained and prolonged high blood pressure that reduces the cyclic pulsations, limiting nitric oxide production. We further note that pathological conditions, i.e., Parkinson's disorder, may benefit from mild exercise, i.e., cyclic nitric oxide production, since the inactivity associated with this disease may lead to compromised nitric oxide production, initiating a progressive deterioration of tissues, including peripheral adrenergic neurons, due to a lack of adequate basal nitric oxide levels required to maintain the vascular microenvironment in a mild state of inhibition. We conclude that mild exercise represents an alternate and economical therapy to preserve health and/or diminish the rate of decline of the normal physiological processes that may even be associated with aging.

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February 2001
Volume 7 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Stefano GB, Prevot V, Cadet P and Dardik I: Vascular pulsations stimulating nitric oxide release during cyclic exercise may benefit health: A molecular approach (Review). Int J Mol Med 7: 119-129, 2001
APA
Stefano, G.B., Prevot, V., Cadet, P., & Dardik, I. (2001). Vascular pulsations stimulating nitric oxide release during cyclic exercise may benefit health: A molecular approach (Review). International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 7, 119-129. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.7.2.119
MLA
Stefano, G. B., Prevot, V., Cadet, P., Dardik, I."Vascular pulsations stimulating nitric oxide release during cyclic exercise may benefit health: A molecular approach (Review)". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 7.2 (2001): 119-129.
Chicago
Stefano, G. B., Prevot, V., Cadet, P., Dardik, I."Vascular pulsations stimulating nitric oxide release during cyclic exercise may benefit health: A molecular approach (Review)". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 7, no. 2 (2001): 119-129. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.7.2.119