Treadmill exercise ameliorates ethanol with lipopolysaccharide and carbon tetrachloride-mediated liver injury in mice.

We reported that application of ethanol with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) enhanced alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level. In the current experiment, the protective effect of treadmill running on liver injury caused by ethanol with LPS and CCl 4 in mice was studied. Liver injury severity was determined by measuring ALT and AST level in the blood. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, immunohistochemistry for caspase-3, and Western blotting for Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were performed to indicate hepatocyte apoptosis. In addition, to understand the mechanism, 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation was studied by Western blotting. Treadmill exercise ameliorated ethanol with LPS and CCl 4 -mediated elevation of ALT and AST level. Treadmill exercise suppressed ethanol with LPS and CCl 4 -mediated elevation of the TUNEL-positive cell number and cleaved caspase-3 expression. Treadmill exercise suppressed ethanol with LPS and CCl 4 -mediated elevation of Bax expression and increased Bcl-2 expression suppressed by application of ethanol with LPS and CCl 4 . Treadmill exercise enhanced AMPK phosphorylation which was suppressed by application of ethanol with LPS and CCl 4 . Treadmill exercise has the effect of reducing liver damage caused by alcohol and or drug addiction.