Effect of duration of a moderate exercise program on primary and secondary immune responses in mice.
OBJECTIVE
Moderate exercise conducted over a 4- to 8-week period enhances secondary antibody response and is mediated, in part, by endogenous opioids. Because changes in circulating levels of endogenous opioids occur after each exercise session, the researchers in this study tested the hypothesis that a shorter exercise program of 2 weeks may be sufficient to enhance secondary antibody response. Another purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a moderate exercise program completed prior to the primary immunization on the secondary antibody response in mice.


METHODS
Young (8- to 10-week-old), syngeneic, female C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to exercise (2 or 8 weeks) and sedentary intervention protocols. Mice were immunized against human serum albumin (HSA), and serum anti-HSA antibody levels were measured (in micrograms per milliliter) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
The secondary antibody response was comparable in mice exercising for 2 or 8 weeks and was enhanced over sedentary controls.


CONCLUSIONS
A moderate exercise program of 2 weeks may be sufficient to improve secondary antibody production and may be a useful strategy to enhance antibody response to vaccinations in humans. Furthermore, an exercise program that includes exercise prior to the primary immunization in addition to exercise following primary immunization may not provide additional enhancement of secondary antibody response.
Kapasi
Zoher F
ZF
Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1441 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. zkapasi@emory.edu
Catlin
Pamela A
PA
Adams
Meredith A
MA
Glass
Elizabeth G
EG
McDonald
Bart W
BW
Nancarrow
Alyson C
AC
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal