Immune changes in humans during cold exposure: effects of prior heating and exercise

Abstract

This study examined the immunological responses to cold exposure together with the effects of pretreatment with either passive heating or exercise (with and without a thermal clamp). On four separate occasions, seven healthy men [mean age 24.0 +/- 1.9 (SE) yr, peak oxygen consumption = 45.7 +/- 2.0 ml. kg(-1). min(-1)] sat for 2 h in a climatic chamber maintained at 5 degrees C. Before exposure, subjects participated in one of four pretreatment conditions. For the thermoneutral control condition, subjects remained seated for 1 h in a water bath at 35 degrees C. In another pretreatment, subjects were passively heated in a warm (38 degrees C) water bath for 1 h. In two other pretreatments, subjects exercised for 1 h at 55% peak oxygen consumption (once immersed in 18 degrees C water and once in 35 degrees C water). Core temperature rose by 1 degrees C during passive heating and during exercise in 35 degrees C water and remained stable during exercise in 18 degrees C water (thermal clamping). Subsequent cold exposure induced a leukocytosis and granulocytosis, an increase in natural killer cell count and activity, and a rise in circulating levels of interleukin-6. Pretreatment with exercise in 18 degrees C water augmented the leukocyte, granulocyte, and monocyte response. These results indicate that acute cold exposure has immunostimulating effects and that, with thermal clamping, pretreatment with physical exercise can enhance this response. Increases in levels of circulating norepinephrine may account for the changes observed during cold exposure and their modification by changes in initial status.

Hot water immersion induces an acute cytokine response in cervical spinal cord injury

“…As repeatedly shown following exercise (Foster et al 1986;Laing et al 2008;Rhind et al 1999) and hyperthermia (Brenner et al 1999;Kappel et al 1998;Walsh and Whitham 2006) interventions in AB populations, we report increased neutrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte numbers following hot water immersion. While increased neutrophil counts have been observed earlier following exercise interventions in CSCI populations, lymphocyte numbers remained unchanged in this population (Kouda et al 2012;Yamanaka et al 2010).…”

Exercise-Induced Interleukin-6 and Metabolic Responses in Hot, Temperate, and Cold Conditions

“…Second, duration of exercise has been shown to be the single most important factor in determining the post-exercise plasma IL-6 response (Fischer, 2006). Only a one-to two-fold increase in IL-6 is typically observed in exercise lasting less than 60 min (Brenner et al, 1999;Fischer, 2006;Lundby & Steensberg, 2004). Therefore, the duration of the trials in the current study may not have been long enough for the exercise-induced response of IL-6 to be of greater magnitude.…”

Effects of whole-body cryotherapy on serum mediators of inflammation and serum muscle enzymes in athletes

“…Cold exposure in a climate chamber at 5 1C induced a small, but significant leukocytosis due to an increase in circulating neutrophils and lymphocytes, accompanied by natural killer cell activity (Brenner et al, 1999). The authors remarked that cold exposure had an immunostimulating effect that was possibly related to an enhanced noradrenaline response to the cold.…”