title: Effects of Mountain Ultra-Marathon Running on ROS Production and Oxidative Damage by Micro-Invasive Analytic Techniques.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aiming to gain a detailed insight into the physiological mechanisms involved under extreme conditions, a group of experienced ultra-marathon runners, performing the mountain Tor des Géants® ultra-marathon: 330 km trail-run in Valle d'Aosta, 24000 m of positive and negative elevation changes, was monitored. ROS production rate, antioxidant capacity, oxidative damage and inflammation markers were assessed, adopting micro-invasive analytic techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six male athletes (45.04±8.75 yr, 72.6±8.4 kg, 1.76±0.05 m) were tested. Capillary blood and urine were collected before (Pre-), in the middle (Middle-) and immediately after (Post-) Race. Samples were analyzed for: Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance; Antioxidant Capacity by Electrochemistry; oxidative damage (8-hydroxy-2-deoxy Guanosine: 8-OH-dG; 8-isoprostane: 8-isoPGF2α) and nitric oxide metabolites by enzymatic assays; inflammatory biomarkers (plasma and urine interleukin-6: IL-6-P and IL-6-U) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA); Creatinine and Neopterin by HPLC, hematologic (lactate, glucose and hematocrit) and urine parameters by standard analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five athletes finished the race, while twenty-one dropped out of it. A significant increase (Post-Race vs Pre) of the ROS production rate (2.20±0.27 vs 1.65±0.22 μmol.min-1), oxidative damage biomarkers (8-OH-dG: 6.32±2.38 vs 4.16±1.25 ng.mg-1 Creatinine and 8-isoPGF2α: 1404.0±518.30 vs 822.51±448.91 pg.mg-1Creatinine), inflammatory state (IL-6-P: 66.42±36.92 vs 1.29±0.54 pg.mL-1 and IL-6-U: 1.33±0.56 vs 0.71±0.17 pg.mL1) and lactate production (+190%), associated with a decrease of both antioxidant capacity (-7%) and renal function (i.e. Creatinine level +76%) was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The used micro-invasive analytic methods allowed us to perform most of them before, during and immediately after the race directly in the field, by passing the need of storing and transporting samples for further analysis. Considered altogether the investigated variables showed up that exhaustive and prolonged exercise not only promotes the generation of ROS but also induces oxidative stress, transient renal impairment and inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Council of Research (CNR), Segrate (Milan), Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mrakic-Sposta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation-Physiology Section, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Maristella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gussoni
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Council of Research (CNR), Segrate (Milan), Italy.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pratali
authors.affiliation: Neurology and Neurophysiology Department. Mountain Medicine Center Valle d'Aosta Regional Hospital Umberto Parini, Aosta, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giardini
authors.affiliation: EDEL Therapeutics S.A., PSE-B/EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tacchini
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dellanoce
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tonacci
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mastorci
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borghini
authors.affiliation: Università Telematica S. Raffaele Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montorsi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, National Council of Research (CNR), Segrate (Milan), Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vezzoli
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D056352:Athletes; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C075750:8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D015237:Dinoprost; D003849:Deoxyguanosine