Role of leukotrienes in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction before and after a pilot rehabilitation training program.
BACKGROUND
Whatever the initial stimulus for the exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) observed in asthmatic patients after exercise, the final effect is release of bronchoactive mediators, especially cysteinyl leukotrienes. Exercise rehabilitation training programs have been reported to protect against EIB. The exact mechanism(s) involved are not well understood. However, this protective effect may be related to adaptation and better coordination during exercise, depletion of cysteinyl leukotrienes, and/or a sluggish cysteinyl leukotriene response to exercise. The aim of the present work was to test the hypothesis that improvement in the incidence and severity of post-exercise bronchoconstriction after a rehabilitation training program is related to a change in leukotriene levels in response to exercise.


METHODS
Twenty asthmatic children aged 6-12 years and known to develop EIB were enrolled in an exercise training program for 12 weeks. The severity and incidence of EIB before and after training was assessed. Baseline and post-exercise sputum cysteinyl leukotriene levels were assessed before and after the training program.


RESULTS
The training program offered significant protection against EIB with a concomitant decrease in sputum cysteinyl leukotriene levels in response to exercise.


CONCLUSIONS
A training program can result in depletion and/or a sluggish cysteinyl leukotriene response to exercise and may be responsible for the protective effect of training programs on EIB. It is recommended to use an exercise rehabilitation training program as a complementary tool in the management of bronchial asthma, especially EIB.
Department of Human Physiology, Egypt.
Ibrahim M
IM
El-Akkary
Zeinat El-Khouly
Zel-K
Abdel-Fatah
Mervat El-Sayed
Mel-S
El-Seweify
Gihan A
GA
El-Batouti
Ekhlas Abdel
EA
Aziz
Abdelnasser I
AI
Adam
asthma; cysteinyl leukotriene; exercise-induced bronchoconstriction; leukotrienes; rehabilitation training program; sputum