Exercise-Induced Changes in Visceral Adipose Tissue Mass Are Regulated by IL-6 Signaling: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized placebo-controlled trial
PubMed 30595477 · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2018.12.007
What was done
In a 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial, abdominally obese adults were assigned to receive either tocilizumab (an interleukin-6 receptor antibody) or placebo, combined with either regular bicycle exercise training or no exercise.
What was found
The abstract does not provide exact numerical values, percentages, or confidence intervals. It reports that exercise reduced visceral adipose tissue mass, but this effect was abolished in the presence of IL-6 blockade. Body weight and total adipose tissue mass showed similar tendencies, whereas lean body mass did not differ between groups. IL-6 blockade also increased cholesterol levels, an effect not reversed by exercise.
Why it matters
This establishes that IL-6 signaling is mechanistically required for exercise-induced visceral adipose tissue loss in humans. It also highlights potentially harmful metabolic side effects, such as increased cholesterol and blunted fat loss, for patients prescribed therapeutic IL-6 receptor antagonists.
Limits
The abstract does not disclose the sample size, baseline participant characteristics, adherence rates, or quantitative values with confidence intervals. Effects beyond the 12-week intervention period were not evaluated.
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