Whole body vibration has become a more prevalent form of therapy and exercise over time.
It has shown compelling evidence for being an effective method for reducing inflammation caused by diabetes. Inflammation is regulated by macrophages, which are cells that are part of the body’s immune system. Macrophages are able to promote and reduce inflammation.
Previous research has demonstrated that whole body vibration can assist with inflammation.
In a study, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers set out to investigate the mechanism by which it influences inflammation.
The study utilized two sets of male mice where one set consisted of genetically mutated mice and the other remained a control set. The mutated mice had an altered gene that codes for the hormone leptin, thus reducing leptin production.
A lack of leptin causes these mutated mice to be susceptible to diabetes and obesity. Both sets were fed a regular diet and exposed to whole body vibration at a frequency of 30 Hertz daily for a period of four weeks.
Following the experiment, the researchers analyzed abdominal adipose tissues from both sets of mice.
The study reported that whole body vibration caused significant changes in the genome of the microorganisms that were present in the body of the mice that assist with digestion. Whole body vibration improved the utilization of glucose in the body, in turn reducing the effects of inflammation, which are otherwise amplified due to an excess of glucose.
The researchers found that an increase in the bacterium Alistipes, which makes short chain fatty acids that use glucose, caused significant reduction in inflammation. Whole body vibration was also found to increase levels of macrophages that suppressed the inflammatory pathway.
This study offers an in-depth look at the mechanisms by which inflammation occurs and is reduced through whole body vibration.
The authors were successful in identifying the bacterium Alistipes that was most significantly impacted. They were able to extend this information by directly providing a dose of the bacterium coupled with lower levels of vibration to yield similar results.
A greater understanding of these mechanisms will be beneficial to better understand and treat diabetes and related conditions.
References:
Yu, J. C., Hale, V. L., Khodadadi, H., & Baban, B. (2019). Whole Body Vibration-Induced Omental Macrophage Polarization and Fecal Microbiome Modification in a Murine Model. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(13), 3125. doi: 10.3390/ijms20133125
Whole body vibration shakes up microbiome, reduces inflammation in diabetes. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-08/mcog-wbv080219.php
