Ammonium Salts Promote Adaptive Changes of Rat Immune System to Ultimate Load in the Forced Swimming Model

We studied the effect of different doses of ammonium chloride (ACl) and ammonium carbonate (ACr) on immunological parameters of the peripheral blood in rats during high-intensity exercise. Changes in the absolute and relative numbers of granulocytes, lymphocytes, natural killers, naive and mature effector cells one day after the end of the forced swimming cycle were found by using a hematological analyzer and a flow cytometer. Immunological indicators were analyzed relative to swimming duration on the last day of ultimate load. The revealed changes indicate the onset of the effector phase of the development of the inflammatory processes in the positive control group (physiological saline) and in rats receiving a higher dose of ACr (20 mg/kg), while administration of ACl prevented the development of inflammatory processes and shifts in the physiological balance of lymphocyte subpopulations. Immunological profiling indicates that ACl in a dose of 20 mg/kg most effectively improved physical performance in our forced swimming model.