title: Changes in spontaneous and LPS-induced ex vivo cytokine production and mRNA expression in male and female athletes following prolonged exhaustive exercise.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The capacity of whole blood cultures to produce cytokines in response to endotoxin (LPS) was studied in athletes before, 30 min after, 3 h after and 24 h after a half-marathon run.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight well trained men and 8 well trained women (6 of them in the late luteal phase of their cycle) participated. EDTA blood was incubated with or without LPS for 1 h, and cytokine concentration and gene expression were determined. To quantify LPS-dependent release on a per monocyte basis (LDR), the mean values of the difference (delta) between cytokine concentration in stimulated and unstimulated cultures, normalized to monocyte numbers, were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LDR of TNF-alpha was significantly reduced by exercise with identical kinetic in men and women. TNF-alpha mRNA expression was slightly down-regulated following exercise (P < 0.05), but significantly so only in women. LDR of IL-6 was also reduced, but with a faster kinetic in women than in men. Similarly, 30 min post-exercise; LDR and spontaneous release of IL-1ra were significantly less in women than men. Concomitantly, IL-Ira mRNA was significantly elevated in unstimulated and in stimulated cultures in men only. IL-10 and IL-10 mRNA were significantly induced 30 min following exercise in absence of any detectable LDR. Women showed significantly lower levels than men. LDR and spontaneous release of IL-8 was enhanced in men and TGF-beta1 in women. A significant up-regulation was seen in unstimulated IL-8 mRNA for women and LPS-stimulated IL-8 mRNA expression for men following exercise.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Altogether, LPS-dependent ex vivo cytokine release was strongly influenced by exercise and these changes could only in part be attributed to changes in messenger RNA. Results for IL-1ra, IL-6 and IL-10 pointed to a less pronounced anti-inflammatory response in women as compared with men. Our results also indicate an early production of IL-10 by peripheral blood cells in response to exercise.
authors: Division of Molecular Exercise Immunology, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Transfusion Medicine (IKET), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. Ashgar.Abbasi@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors: Asghar
authors: A
authors: Abbasi
authors: Elvira
authors: E
authors: Fehrenbach
authors: Melanie
authors: M
authors: Hauth
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Walter
authors: Jens
authors: J
authors: Hudemann
authors: Veit
authors: V
authors: Wank
authors: Andreas M
authors: AM
authors: Niess
authors: Hinnak
authors: H
authors: Northoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger