Inhibitory effects of voluntary wheel exercise on apoptosis in splenic lymphocyte subsets of C57BL/6 mice

Abstract

Two-month-old mice were placed in cages with (Ex) or without exercise running wheels with free access to the wheel 24 h/day for 10 mo. An equal amount of food for both groups was provided daily. Ex mice ran an average of 33.67 km/wk initially, and exercise decreased gradually with age. Ex mice had gained an average of 43.5% less body weight at the end of the experiment. Although serum lipid peroxides were not altered by exercise, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in serum were significantly increased. Flow cytometric analysis of spleen cells revealed an increased percentage of CD8+ T cells and a decreased percentage of CD19+ B cells in Ex mice (P < 0.05). Exercise decreased apoptosis in total splenocytes and CD4+ cells incubated with medium alone or with H(2)O(2), dexamethasone, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), or anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (P < 0.05) and CD8+ cells with medium alone or with TNF-alpha (P < 0.05). Even though exercise did not alter the intracellular cytokines (TNF-alpha and interleukin-2) or Fas ligand, it did significantly lower interferon-gamma in CD4+ and CD8+ cells (P < 0.05). In summary, voluntary wheel exercise appears to decrease H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis in immune cells as well as decrease interferon-gamma production.

Voluntary wheel-running exercise enhances antigen-specific antibody-producing splenic B cell response and prolongs IgG half-life in the blood

“…This finding is consistent with a previous study (Schuler et al 1995). However, with a longer period of voluntary wheel-exercised mice showed a significantly lower weight gain (Russell et al 1987) consequently affecting the immune system (Avula et al 2001). This tendency can be observed between physiological stress and the antibody response.…”

Effect of a four-week exercise program on the secretion of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-6 cytokines in elite Taekwondo athletes

“…In comparison to the levels measured before the program, the IL-2 levels of the subjects after the 4-week Taekwondo exercise program were found to be elevated. Suzuki et al (24) reported that there was no increase in the secretion of cytokines following endurance training in athletes, and it was demonstrated in another study that IL-2 levels of exercised rats remained unchanged (25). Similarly, Kara et al (6) noted that exercise did not cause any change in the IL-2 levels of individuals performing wrestling as a sport.…”

Freewheel Running Prevents Learned Helplessness/Behavioral Depression: Role of Dorsal Raphe Serotonergic Neurons

“…Indeed, stressful events often precipitate and exacerbate psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety (Chorpita and Barlow, 1998;Kendler et al, 1999), and, compared with sedentary rats, several weeks of previous, voluntary access to running wheels results in dramatic alterations in immunological (Dishman et al, 1995;Fleshner, 2000;Avula et al, 2001;Moraska and Fleshner, 2001;Fleshner et al, 2002), neurochemical Dishman et al, 1997b;Soares et al, 1999;Greenwood et al, 2003), and behavioral (Dishman et al, , 1997aSolberg et al, 1999;Moraska and Fleshner, 2001) responses to stress.…”