title: Circulating mononuclear cell numbers and function during intense exercise and recovery.
abstract: To investigate the effect of intense exercise on immune function, 12 healthy males (26 +/- 1 yr) underwent cycle exercise to exhaustion at 80% maximum work load. One hour later, six of the subjects underwent a second identical bout. Blood was drawn preexercise (C), at exhaustion (Ex-1, Ex-2), and at 1 h of recovery (Rec-1, Rec-2). At Ex-1 and Ex-2, total leukocytes (monocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes) increased significantly (P less than 0.05), and all returned to C levels by Rec-1 except lymphocytes, which were lower than at C. At Rec-2 total leukocytes remained higher (P less than 0.05) than at C, primarily because of elevated neutrophil counts. Phenotype analysis indicated a 2.5-fold increase in CD16+ (natural killer) cells at Ex-1 and a decrease primarily in CD4+ (T-helper) cells. All phenotype changes returned to C levels at Rec-1. At Ex-1 the in vitro mitogenic response to concanavalin A, phorbol myristate acetate + ionomycin, phytohemagglutinin, and pokeweed mitogen decreased (P less than 0.05) but returned to levels not different from C at Rec-1. Both the in vitro percent specific lysis of a target natural killer cell (K562) and the lytic activity per cell increased (P less than 0.05) in peripheral mononuclear cells at Ex-1, returning to C levels at Rec-1. The total leukocyte counts with exercise were significantly correlated with plasma epinephrine concentration, and a causal effect is thus possible. Such acute changes in numbers and function of circulating cells of the immune system may possibly have functional and clinical correlates.
authors.affiliation: McGill Nutrition and Food Science Centre, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gougeon
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Marliss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D011773:Pyruvates / Q000097:blood; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002395:Catecholamines; D007328:Insulin; D007773:Lactates; D011773:Pyruvates; D005934:Glucagon