Chronic alcohol consumption causes alterations in the lung tissues characterized by edema and formation of large inflammatory infiltrate. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of physical exercise on lung injuries caused by chronic alcohol intake in Wistar rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-two male Wistar rats (261.1 ± 1.3 g) received sugarcane distilled alcoholic beverage diluted (30%, v/v, alcohol group) or tap water (control group) for 120 days. After this period, five animals of each group were sacrificed. The remaining animals received water and were sorted in four groups: alcoholic and sedentary (AS), control and sedentary (CS), alcoholic and trained (AT) and control and trained (CT). The AT and CT groups were submitted to a swimming exercise protocol with progressive daily increase in the training time until 20 minutes per day, five times per week, for five weeks. For the same period, AS and CS groups were maintained at sedentary state. RESULTS: after the alcoholic intake period, the alcohol group presented decreased (P<0.05) body weight and increased relative lung weight (P<0.05). Lungs of alcoholic group showed characteristics of edema and inflammatory infiltrate. The CS and CT groups did not present morphological changes. AT animals showed increased inflammation and number of hyper pigmented macrophages in relation to CT group. CONCLUSION: exercise can increase lung inflammation when applied in animals with inflammatory injury induced by chronic alcohol consumption.
alcohol; lung edema; exercise
