Effects of dynamic exercise on plasma arachidonic acid epoxides and diols in human volunteers

Metabolites of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) pathway may contribute to vasodilation of the vasculature. However, it is not known whether exercise affects their circulating concentrations. The authors determined effects of exercise intensity and duration on plasma concentrations of epoxy and dihydroxy metabolites of arachidonic acid. Their goal was to delineate the threshold workload, optimal workload, and duration required to produce increases in plasma concentrations of these vasoactive substances. Healthy volunteers (N = 14) performed maximal exercise testing on a bicycle ergometer during Visit 1. On separate days, subjects cycled for 20 min at 30%, 60%, and 80% of their maximal exercise intensity. The last day consisted of 40 min of exercise at 60% of maximal exercise intensity. Venous blood was obtained before, during, and after exercise for analysis. Compared with rest, increases were observed during the 80% workload at 20 min postexercise -14,15-DHET (0.77 ± 0.21 vs. 0.93 ± 0.27 nM) - and at 2 min postexercise: 11,12-DHET (0.64 ± 0.22 vs. 0.71 ± 0.24 nM; p < .05). Also compared with rest, 40-min values during the 60% workload were 14,15-DHET 0.79 ± 0.22 vs. 0.91 ± 0.31 nM and at 2 min post 14,15 EET 0.12 ± 0.06 vs. 0.21 ± 0.16 nM (p < .05). Results suggest the CYP metabolites (i.e., DHETs) are released during short-term high-intensity and long-term moderate-intensity exercise.