The Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokine Response to Exercise in Adolescent Swimmers

Abstract

Objective Whether or not individuals with allergy and asthma experience different patterns of change in the balance of both pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators with acute exercise is not known. We hypothesized that adolescent swimmers with a clinical diagnosis of respiratory allergy would have an exaggerated proinflammatory response to laboratory exercise relative to a no-allergy comparison group. Methods Adolescent swimmers (17 with clinical symptoms of respiratory allergy (CSRA) and 17 in comparison group) completed the American Thoracic Society (ATS) exercise challenge on cycle ergometer. Blood was collected at baseline and immediately post-exercise. All study tests were conducted at the Institute for Clinical Translational Science at the University of California, Irvine. Circulating cytokines, growth factors, and adhesion molecules were measured using ELISAs including transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, P-selectin, and immunoglobulin E (IgE). Results There was a trend toward higher resting levels of TNF-α in the CSRA group (P = 0.076). Exercise induced a significant increase in P-selectin and TGF-β1 in both groups. TNF-α increased significantly (17%) in the comparison group (pre = 0.6, post = 0.7 pg/mL), but not in the CSRA group. IL-6 increased significantly in the CSRA group (pre = 0.7, post = 0.8 pg/mL), but not in the comparison group. Circulating levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were not altered immediately post-exercise in either group. Conclusions A short bout of intense exercise increased inflammatory growth factors and adhesion molecules, namely TGF-β1 and P-selectin, both of which are known to be involved in allergic airway diseases. Differences in resting IL-6 and TNF-α and exercise alterations in these cytokines may also contribute to allergic disease in adolescent elite swimmers.

The cyclophilin inhibitor NIM-811 increases muscle cell survival with hypoxia in vitro and improves gait performance following ischemia–reperfusion in vivo

“…In skeletal muscle, MCP-1 is known to promote macrophage infiltration after (severe) tissue damage and represents a molecular link in the crosstalk between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle 34 – 36 . Previous findings have documented elevated MCP-1 in response to different stressors, and our data showing lower MCP-1 in muscle with NIM-811 is consistent with an overall decrease in the inflammatory response 37 – 39 . TGF-β1 is a major contributor to fibrosis after injury in various tissues and is increased after injury in regenerating muscle 40 .…”

Systemic and airway oxidative stress in competitive swimmers

“…Furthermore, no significant differences in inflammatory cell counts were observed between swimmers with a PC20 FEV1 of less than 4 mg/ mL and those with a PC20 FEV1 of more than 4 mg/mL [5]. In addition, adolescent swimmers had increased IL-6 and TNF-αlevels after exercise [8]. Regarding the cytokine response to exercise, swimmers, but not the controls, showed a decrease in the amount of some cytokines, including IL-6 and TNF-α [9].…”

Elucidating the interaction between maternal physical activity and circulating myokines throughout gestation: A scoping review

“…Type I, the classical immune response, triggers a pro‐inflammatory state to fight infections, whereas type II, the alternative immune response, fosters anti‐inflammatory measures to promote regulation and repair 3 . The polarization between these two responses is initiated by physiological stressors, 4,5 such as acute or chronic exercise 6 …”