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Measuring Mitochondrial Function of Naïve and Effector CD8 T Cells
Published on: March 28, 2025
Acute exercise mobilises CD8+ T lymphocytes exhibiting an effector-memory phenotype
John P Campbell1, Natalie E Riddell, Victoria E Burns
1Behavioural Medicine Group, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
|March 4, 2009
Summary
Exercise preferentially mobilizes specific immune cells. High-intensity exercise significantly increases effector-memory CD8+ T lymphocytes (CD8TLs) and cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells, enhancing immune surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Exercise acutely mobilizes lymphocytes, including CD8+ T lymphocytes (CD8TLs) and natural killer (NK) cells.
- Evidence suggests preferential mobilization of lymphocytes with high cytotoxicity, low proliferation, and tissue-migrating potential, characteristic of effector-memory CD8TL subsets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of acute exercise on specific CD8+ T lymphocyte (CD8TL) subsets.
- To quantify the mobilization of distinct CD56(bright) regulatory and CD56(dim) cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cell subsets during exercise.
Main Methods:
- Healthy males underwent control, low-intensity (35% Watt(max)), and high-intensity (85% Watt(max)) exercise sessions.
- Blood samples were collected pre-exercise, during exercise, and at +15 and +60 minutes post-exercise.
- CD8TL subsets (naïve, central memory, effector-memory, RAEM) and NK cell subsets (CD56(bright), CD56(dim)) were quantified using cell surface markers.
Main Results:
- Exercise induced differential mobilization of CD8TL subsets, with RAEM > EM > CM > naïve.
- High-intensity exercise led to a significant increase in RAEM CD8TLs (+450%) and naïve cells (+84%).
- CD56(dim) NK cells showed greater mobilization (+995%) compared to CD56(bright) NK cells (+153%).
Conclusions:
- Exercise preferentially mobilizes memory CD8+ T lymphocytes (CD8TLs) with high effector and tissue-migrating potential.
- Selective mobilization of cytotoxic, tissue-migrating NK and CD8TL subsets during exercise may enhance immune surveillance.
- This finding unifies observations on exercise-induced lymphocyte changes and highlights the immune-regulatory role of exercise.
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