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Review
. 2001 Oct 15;536(Pt 2):329-37.
doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7793.2001.0329c.xd.

Muscle-derived interleukin-6: possible biological effects

B K Pedersen  1 , A Steensberg, P Schjerling
Affiliations
Review

Muscle-derived interleukin-6: possible biological effects

B K Pedersen et al. J Physiol. .

Abstract

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is produced locally in working skeletal muscle and can account for the increase in plasma IL-6 during exercise. The production of IL-6 during exercise is related to the intensity and duration of the exercise, and low muscle glycogen content stimulates the production. Muscle-derived IL-6 is released into the circulation during exercise in high amounts and is likely to work in a hormone-like fashion, exerting an effect on the liver and adipose tissue, thereby contributing to the maintenance of glucose homeostasis during exercise and mediating exercise-induced lipolysis. Muscle-derived IL-6 may also work to inhibit the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor alpha. The latter cytokine is produced by adipose tissue and inflammatory cells and appears to play a pathogenetic role in insulin resistance and atherogenesis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic presentation of the possible biological effects of muscle-derived IL-6. TG, triglyceride; FFA, free fatty acid.
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