Cytokines and cell adhesion molecules associated with high-intensity eccentric exercise

Abstract

Unaccustomed, eccentrically biased exercise induces trauma to muscle and/or connective tissue. Tissue damage activates an acute inflammatory response. Inflammation requires the effective interaction of different physiological and biological systems. Much of this is coordinated by the de novo synthesis of families of protein molecules, cytokines. The purpose of the present paper was to determine changes in blood levels of various cytokines in response to exercise-induced muscle damage that was effected using high-intensity eccentric exercise. Six healthy, untrained, college-age male subjects were required to perform the eccentric phase of a bench press and a leg curl (4 sets, 12 repetitions/set) at an intensity equivalent to 100% of their previously determined one-repetition maximum. Samples of blood were drawn at the following times: before exercise and 1.5, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 h after exercise. These samples were analyzed for interleukins (IL): IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-10; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; colony stimulating factors (CSF): granulocyte-CSF, macrophage-CSF, and GM-CSF; for cell adhesion molecules (CAM): P- and E-selectin, and intercellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1). Results were analyzed using a repeated-measures analysis of variance (P = 0.05). Compared to baseline values, IL-1beta was reduced (P = 0.03) at 6, 24, and 96-144 h after exercise; IL-6 was elevated (P = 0.01) at 12, 24, and 72 h after exercise; IL-10 was elevated (P = 0.009) between 72 and 144 h after exercise; M-CSF was elevated (P = 0.005) at 12 and 48-144 h after exercise; and P-selectin was reduced (P = 0.01) between 24 and 144 h after exercise. It is concluded that when high-intensity eccentric exercise is compared to strenuous endurance exercise, post-exercise changes in cytokines do occur, but they are generally of a smaller magnitude, and occur at a later time period after the termination of exercise.

Systemic cytokine response following exercise-induced muscle damage in humans

“…An acute inflammatory response appeared to accompany the adaptation process following damage in the present study. This was indicated by the increase in serum IL-6 concentrations within hours post-exercise, corroborating previously published data (10,16). The early increase in serum IL-6 post eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage has been assumed to originate from inflammatory cells infiltrating damaged skeletal muscle (9,24).…”

“…Damage-induced cytokine responses have been demonstrated by increased concentrations of IL-1, IL-6 and IL-10 following high-intensity eccentric exercise (10,16). Among these, IL-6 is an inflammation-responsive cytokine.…”

“…Muscle contractions per se are a stimulus for the production of muscle-derived IL-6 (24)(25)(26). However, the kinetics of IL-6 production have shown a progressive increase following muscle-damaging eccentric exercise (10,16). This is in contrast to the rapid decline of IL-6 concentrations following non-damaging concentric exercise of long duration (24,26,27).…”

“…Coordination between inflammation and regeneration is crucial for successful recovery of damaged muscle (13). Also, much of the acute inflammatory response induced by muscle damage is coordinated by the de novo synthesis of endogenous cytokines that direct inflammatory-related events (15,16). Cytokines may be produced by a variety of cells including endothelial cells, tissue-resident leukocytes and circulating leukocytes (15,17).…”

Serum and tissue cytokines and chemokines increase with repetitive upper extremity tasks

“…21 However, it is unlikely that muscle contractions contributed to our increased serum cytokines and chemokines because we collected serum at 18-36 h after completion of the final task session. Although high-intensity eccentric exercise can induce postexercise serum increases of IL-6 and IL-10 that last up to 144 h, 14,22 we did not observe such increases. TNFa does not increase in muscle or serum during exercise, 21 but with injury and its severity, increases that persist up to 14 days post trauma.…”