title: Effect of long-term voluntary exercise wheel running on susceptibility to bacterial pulmonary infections in a mouse model.
abstract: Regular moderate exercise has been suggested to exert anti-inflammatory effects and improve immune effector functions, resulting in reduced disease incidence and viral infection susceptibility. Whether regular exercise also affects bacterial infection susceptibility is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether regular voluntary exercise wheel running prior to a pulmonary infection with bacteria (P. aeruginosa) affects lung bacteriology, sickness severity and phagocyte immune function in mice. Balb/c mice were randomly placed in a cage with or without a running wheel. After 28 days, mice were intranasally infected with P. aeruginosa. Our study showed that regular exercise resulted in a higher sickness severity score and bacterial (P. aeruginosa) loads in the lungs. The phagocytic capacity of monocytes and neutrophils from spleen and lungs was not affected. Although regular moderate exercise has many health benefits, healthy mice showed increased bacterial (P. aeruginosa) load and symptoms, after regular voluntary exercise, with perseverance of the phagocytic capacity of monocytes and neutrophils. Whether patients, suffering from bacterial infectious diseases, should be encouraged to engage in exercise and physical activities with caution requires further research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ; Department of Translational Immunology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ; Centre for Molecular and Cellular Intervention, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pauline B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: van de Weert-van Leeuwen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Angélica M M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Vrankrijker
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Molecular Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fentz
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Oana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ciofu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Molecular Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jørgen F P
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wojtaszewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hubertus G M
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Arets
authors.affiliation: Child Development & Exercise Centre, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hendrikus J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hulzebos
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cornelis K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: van der Ent
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ; Department of Translational Immunology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands ; Centre for Molecular and Cellular Intervention, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Beekman
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Helle K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D010587:Phagocytosis; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology