title: Voluntary chronic exercise augments in vivo natural immunity in rats.
abstract: The effect of chronic voluntary exercise on the immune response was studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Exercise consisted of voluntary running in wheels for 5 wk, and the mean running distance was 4.2 km/24 h. In vivo cytotoxicity was measured as clearance of injected 51Cr-labeled YAC-1 lymphoma cells from the lungs. The clearance of YAC-1 cells in vivo was significantly increased in runners compared with sedentary controls (P < 0.001). The total number of mononuclear cells in the spleen was significantly decreased in runners compared with controls. Analysis of splenic lymphocyte phenotypes revealed a significantly increased fraction of OX52+/CD5- natural killer cells in runners compared with sedentary controls. In contrast to changes in natural immunity, immunoglobulins G and M levels in serum, the antibody response to antigen in vivo, and the proliferation of splenic T cells in vitro were unchanged. Our data suggest that chronic voluntary exercise augments natural cytotoxicity mechanisms in vivo, whereas splenic T-cell proliferation and the antibody-mediated immune response remain unchanged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Göteborg University, Sweden.
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Jonsdottir
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asea
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: U I
authors.initials: UI
authors.lastname: Dahlgren
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellstrand
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thorén
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M