Effect of moderate daily exercise on acute glomerulonephritis

Exercise can induce proteinuria, hematuria and cylindruria in normal individuals. This suggests that exercise adversely affects glomerular function. In this study we examined the impact of moderate daily treadmill exercise on the glomerulonephritis (GN) of 'one-shot' bovine serum albumin (250 mg/kg i.v.) serum sickness in rabbits. We found that exercise alone increased serum creatinine concentration (Scr) but exercise plus GN did not increase Scr further. Blood urea nitrogen values were unchanged. Albuminuria and the renal histopathology findings were not different between the exercised and non-exercised groups of rabbits. Muscle cytochrome oxidase and mitochondrial protein concentrations were not increased in the exercised animals. We conclude that exercise, below the level that causes exercise adaptation in muscle enzymes, does not adversely affect this form of acute GN.