title: Finger-stick blood sampling methodology for the determination of exercise-induced lymphocyte apoptosis.
abstract: Exercise is a physiological stimulus capable of inducing apoptosis in immune cells. To date, various limitations have been identified with the measurement of this phenomenon, particularly relating to the amount of time required to isolate and treat a blood sample prior to the assessment of cell death. Because of this, it is difficult to determine whether reported increases in immune cell apoptosis can be contributed to the actual effect of exercise on the system, or are a reflection of the time and processing necessary to eventually obtain this measurement. In this article we demonstrate a rapid and minimally invasive procedure for the analysis of exercise-induced lymphocyte apoptosis. Unlike other techniques, whole blood is added to an antibody panel immediately upon obtaining a sample. Following the incubation period, red blood cells are lysed and samples are ready to be analyzed. The use of a finger-stick sampling procedure reduces the volume of blood required, and minimizes the discomfort to subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport, Western Kentucky University, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Navalta
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McFarlin
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fedor
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kell
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arnett
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schafer
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*