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Voluntary training in mice and submandibular lymphocyte response to acute exercise
Jeanette Boudreau1, Joe Quadrilatero, Laurie Hoffman-Goetz
1Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|December 7, 2005
Summary
Voluntary exercise improved some submandibular lymph node (SLN) lymphocyte viability in mice. However, strenuous exercise caused transient cell loss and oxidative stress, potentially impacting immune health in athletes.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Exercise Physiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Submandibular lymph nodes (SLN) are crucial for immune responses to antigens from the eye and oral mucosa.
- Athletes and individuals engaging in regular exercise may face heightened risks of infections in the ocular, oral, and upper respiratory tracts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of voluntary exercise training on the distribution, number, and apoptotic status of SLN lymphocytes.
- To assess changes in SLN lymphocytes following an acute bout of strenuous exercise in trained and untrained mice.
Main Methods:
- Female C57BL/6 mice underwent 16 weeks of voluntary wheel-running (WR) or remained sedentary.
- SLN lymphocytes were analyzed immediately or 24 hours post-exercise, assessing glutathione (GSH), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), viability (PI), and lymphocyte phenotypes (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19).
Main Results:
- WR mice exhibited increased CD8 SLN lymphocytes, higher MMP, and reduced Annexin V/PI staining compared to controls.
- Acute strenuous exercise, irrespective of training status, led to a decrease in total and specific lymphocyte counts, MMP, and GSH levels.
Conclusions:
- Voluntary exercise enhanced certain aspects of SLN lymphocyte viability but did not prevent exercise-induced transient cell loss.
- Depleted intracellular GSH levels post-exercise suggest oxidative stress contributes to the decline in SLN lymphocyte numbers.
- The transient loss of SLN lymphocytes following strenuous exercise may compromise immune surveillance of the eye, oral cavity, and upper respiratory tract, particularly in overtrained athletes.
