Traditional aerobic exercise decreases the risk of developing inflammatory diseases in both obese and normal weight individuals. The magnitude of the anti‐inflammatory immune response following traditional exercise is reduced and the time‐course is shorter in obese compared to normal weight individuals. Although obesity may affect the ability to engage in traditional exercise, whole body vibration (WBV) has emerged as a more tolerated alternative. The impact of WBV on immune‐mediated inflammation in obesity, however, is unknown. PURPOSE To determine if WBV elicits a differential magnitude and time‐course of immune‐mediated inflammation between obese and normal weight individuals. METHODS 11 obese (OB) (BMI: 35.9 ± 8.8 kg/m2, Age: 33 ± 4 y, percent body fat (%BF): 39.1 ± 2.4%) and 12 normal weight (NW) (BMI: 21.3 ± 2.2 kg/m2, Age: 29 ± 7 y, %BF: 17.4 ± 2.1%) men and women participated in this study. Following IV insertion and a resting (PRE) blood draw, each participant performed the WBV protocol, which consisted of 10 cycles of 1 minute of WBV in a static squat position followed by 30 seconds of rest. Following completion of the WBV protocol, blood samples were obtained immediately (POST), 1 hour (1h), 3 hours (3h), and 24 hours (24h) post‐WBV. Blood was analyzed for leukocyte composition (immune‐mediated inflammation) and IL‐6 (muscle activation). RESULTS PRE leukocyte composition was not different between groups. In NW, the percentage of neutrophils decreased (1h: 62 ± 3% vs. 24h: 54 ± 3%, p=0.009) and the percentage of lymphocytes increased (1h: 28 ± 3% vs. 24h: 35 ± 2%, p=0.011). In contrast, there were no changes in leukocyte composition in OB. An association was observed between %BF and the percentage of monocytes at POST (r= −0.67, p=0.023) and 1h (r= −0.65, p=0.03) in OB, whereas in NW %BF was only correlated with percentage of monocytes at PRE (r= −0.61, p=0.045). Although IL‐6 was higher in OB compared with NW at each time point (all p<0.05), a similar percent change from baseline was observed between groups for all post‐WBV time points. IL‐6 at PRE was correlated with percent change at 3h (r= −0.61, p=0.048) only in OB. CONCLUSION WBV elicited favorable alterations in leukocyte composition over time in NW, while no change in leukocytes were detected in OB. In addition, adiposity appears to impact the timing of the leukocyte response to WBV. Although WBV provoked similar IL‐6 changes in both groups, higher concentrations of IL‐6 at PRE appeared to be related to smaller changes at 3h in OB. Taken together, these data suggest a differential inflammatory immune response to WBV exercise between obese and normal weight individuals. Support or Funding Information Supported by Medical College of Georgia TUPP award This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an immune-mediated disease in which CCR2 attracts classical, intermediate, and non-classical monocytes to the arterial intima where they differentiate to macrophages. Balance between pro-inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages contributes to CAD prevention. Moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) elicits an immune response and reduces the incidence of CAD, however, the impact of prior MVPA on monocyte subset CCR2 expression and macrophage polarization following acute exercise is unknown. Purpose To determine the impact of physical activity status on monocyte subset CCR2 surface expression and macrophage polarization in response to an acute bout of moderate intensity cycle ergometry. Methods 24 healthy women and men (12 high physically active [HIACT]: ≥1500 METmin/wk MVPA & 12 low physically active [LOACT]: <600 METmin/wk MVPA) underwent an acute moderate intensity (60% VO 2peak ) bout of cycle ergometry for 30 ​min. Blood samples were collected prior to (PRE), immediately (POST), 1 ​h (1H), and 2 ​h (2H) following exercise. Monocyte CCR2 and macrophage CD86 (M1) and CD206 (M2) were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results Intermediate monocyte CCR2 decreased in response to exercise in the HIACT group (PRE: 11409.0 ​± ​1084.0 vs. POST: 9524.3 ​± ​1062.4; p ​= ​0.034). Macrophage CD206 was lower in the LOACT compared to the HIACT group at 1H (HIACT: 67.2 ​± ​5.6 vs. LOACT: 50.1 ​± ​5.2%; p ​= ​0.040). Macrophage CD206 at 1H was associated with both PRE (r ​= ​0.446, p ​= ​0.043) and POST (r ​= ​0.464, p ​= ​0.034) non-classical monocyte CCR2. Conclusion These data suggest that regular moderate to vigorous physical activity positively impacts both monocytes and macrophages following acute moderate intensity exercise and that this impact may contribute to the prevention of coronary artery disease.

Smoking increases systemic inflammation and circulating endothelin-1 (ET-1), both of which contribute to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The present study sought to test the hypothesis that a 12-week smoking cessation intervention would contribute to a long-term reduction in circulating ET-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). 30 individuals participated in a 12-week evidence-based smoking cessation program at Augusta University. Serum cotinine, plasma inflammatory cytokines, and plasma ET-1 were determined at baseline, immediately after the 12-week cessation program (end of treatment, EOT), and 12-months (12M) following the cessation program. Serum cotinine was significantly reduced (p < 0.001) at EOT and 12M following the smoking cessation program. Compared to BL (7.0 ± 1.6 pg/mL), TNF-α was significantly reduced at EOT (6.3 ± 1.5 pg/mL, p = 0.001) and 12M (5.2 ± 2.7 pg/mL, p < 0.001). ET-1 was significantly lower at EOT (1.9 ± 0.6 pg/mL, p = 0.013) and at 12M (2.0 ± 0.8 pg/mL, p = 0.091) following smoking cessation compared with BL (2.3 ± 0.6 pg/mL). BL concentrations of cotinine were significantly associated with basal ET-1 (r = 0.449, p = 0.013) and the change in cotinine at 12M following smoking cessation was significantly associated with the change in plasma ET-1 at 12M (r = 0.457, p = 0.011). Findings from the present pilot investigation demonstrate that a 12-week smoking cessation program reduces circulating concentrations of ET-1 and TNF-α for at least a year. The reduction in serum cotinine was associated with the decrease in circulating ET-1. The attenuation in ET-1 and inflammation may in part, contribute to the lower risk of CVD that is observed with smoking cessation.