Exercise Helpful for Tendon Diseases

Tendinopathies are a range of diseases characterized by degeneration and chronic tendon pain.  Previous studies have identified a number of molecular changes in tendinopathy, including a decrease in overall collagen content, increased extracellular matrix turnover, and increased activity  of metalloproteinases – proteases for which expression is regulated by mechanical strain. Eleanor Jones, from the University of East Anglia (United Kingdom), and colleagues used human Achilles tendon cells seeded in rat tail collagen gels. The cells were then subjected to levels of strain experienced by human tendons to simulate moderate exercise. The researchers showed that moving around decreases the metalloproteinases that otherwise degrade tendon tissue and increase tendon protein. Submitting that the inhibition of the TGF-[beta] signalling pathway abrogated the strain-induced changes, the study authors conclude that: “Targeting [the TGF-beta] pathway may have its place in the treatment of tendinopathy.”