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The metabolic role of IL-6 produced during exercise: is IL-6 an exercise factor?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2007

B. K. Pedersen ,
A. Steensberg ,
C. Fischer ,
C. Keller ,
P. Keller ,
P. Plomgaard ,
E. Wolsk-Petersen  and
M. Febbraio
B. K. Pedersen*
Affiliation:
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
A. Steensberg
Affiliation:
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
C. Fischer
Affiliation:
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
C. Keller
Affiliation:
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
P. Keller
Affiliation:
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
P. Plomgaard
Affiliation:
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
E. Wolsk-Petersen
Affiliation:
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
M. Febbraio
Affiliation:
The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
*
*Corresponding author: Professor Bente Klarlund Pedersen, Fax: +45 35 45 76 44, Email: bkp@rh.dk
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Abstract

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For most of the last century, researchers have searched for a muscle contraction-induced factor that mediates some of the exercise effects in other tissues such as the liver and the adipose tissue. It has been called the ‘work stimulus’, the ‘work factor’ or the ‘exercise factor’. In the search for such a factor, a cytokine, IL-6, was found to be produced by contracting muscles and released into the blood. It has been demonstrated that IL-6 has many biological roles such as: (1) induction of lipolysis; (2) suppression of TNF production; (3) stimulation of cortisol production. The IL-6 gene is rapidly activated during exercise, and the activation of this gene is further enhanced when muscle glycogen content is low. In addition, carbohydrate supplementation during exercise has been shown to inhibit the release of IL-6 from contracting muscle. Thus, it is suggested that muscle-derived IL-6 fulfils the criteria of an exercise factor and that such classes of cytokines could be termed ‘myokines’.

Keywords

IL-6CytokinesMuscleExerciseTraining
Type
Plenary Lecture
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 63 , Issue 2 , May 2004 , pp. 263 - 267
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2004

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