We hypothesized that estrogen administration would attenuate skeletal muscle neutrophil infiltration, indices of muscle membrane disruption, and muscle calpain activity shortly after the termination of exercise. Ovariectomized female rats were implanted with either an estogen pellet (25 mg beta-estradiol) or a placebo pellet. Two weeks postimplant, animals were killed either at rest or 1 h after running exercise (60 min at 21 m x min(-1), 12% grade). The 4 experimental groups (n = 12) used were: unexercised placebo (UP), unexercised estrogen (UE), exercised placebo (EP), and exercised estrogen (EE). Blood samples were analyzed for creatine kinase (CK) activity and estradiol content. Plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles were removed and histochemical determination of neutrophil content or biochemical determination of myeloperoxidase (MPO), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), and calpain-like activity determined. Estrogen supplemented animals had 10-20-fold higher circulating estradiol levels than placebo animals. EP animals had significantly higher (P < 0.05) circulating CK activities than EE or unexercised animals. Muscle neutrophil concentrations were significantly (P < 0.01) elevated in EP and EE groups compared with unexercised controls, with EP muscle neutrophil levels also being over 60% greater (P < 0.05) than in EE animals. EP animals also had higher (P < 0.05) muscle MPO activities than unexercised or EE animals. Muscle G6PD activities were not significantly different between any groups. Muscle caplain-like activities were 80% higher (P < 0.01) in EP animals than EE animals with calpain-like activities in EE animals similar to unexercised groups. These results indicate that estrogen supplementation in ovariectomized rats attenuated 1-h post-exercise serum CK activities, muscle neutrophil infiltration, MPO activities, and calpain-like activities when compared with exercised, unsupplemented animals. This supports the possibility of a relationship between estrogen, calpain dependent production of neutrophil chemo-attractant peptides, and 1-h post-exercise skeletal muscle neutrophil infiltration.

ObjectivesThe immunological and inflammatory changes following acute COVID-19 are hugely variable. Persistent clinical symptoms following resolution of initial infection, termed long COVID, are also hugely variable, but association with immunological changes has not been described. We investigate changing immunological parameters in convalescent COVID-19 and interrogate their potential relationships with persistent symptoms.MethodsWe performed paired immunophenotyping at initial SARS-CoV-2 infection and convalescence (n=40, median 68 days) and validated findings in 71 further patients at median 101 days convalescence. Results were compared to 40 pre-pandemic controls. Fatigue and exercise tolerance were assessed as cardinal features of long COVID using the Chalder Fatigue Scale and 6-minute-walk test. The relationships between these clinical outcomes and convalescent immunological results were investigated.ResultsWe identify persistent expansion of intermediate monocytes, effector CD8+, activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and reduced naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells at 68 days, with activated CD8+ T cells remaining increased at 101 days. Patients &gt;60 years also demonstrate reduced naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and expanded activated CD4+ T cells at 101 days. Ill-health, fatigue, and reduced exercise tolerance were common in this cohort. These symptoms were not associated with immune cell populations or circulating inflammatory cytokines.ConclusionWe demonstrate myeloid recovery but persistent T cell abnormalities in convalescent COVID-19 patients more than three months after initial infection. These changes are more marked with age and are independent of ongoing subjective ill-health, fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance.

Background: Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells promote inflammation in obesity and are implicated in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, as the intrahepatic MAIT cell response to lifestyle intervention in NAFLD has not been investigated, this work aimed to examine circulating and intrahepatic MAIT cell populations in patients with NAFLD, after either 12 weeks of dietary intervention (DI) or aerobic exercise intervention (EI). Methods: Multicolour flow cytometry was used to immunophenotype circulating and intrahepatic MAIT cells and measure MAIT cell expression (median fluorescence intensity, MFI) of the activation marker CD69 and apoptotic marker CD95. Liver histology, clinical parameters, and MAIT cell populations were assessed at baseline (T0) and following completion (T1) of DI or EI. Results: Forty-five patients completed the study. DI participants showed decreased median (interquartile range) expression of the activation marker CD69 on circulating MAIT cells (T0: 104 (134) versus T1 27 (114) MFI; p = 0.0353) and improvements in histological steatosis grade post-intervention. EI participants showed increased expression of the apoptotic marker CD95, both in circulating (T0: 1549 (888) versus T1: 2563 (1371) MFI; p = 0.0043) and intrahepatic MAIT cells (T0: 2724 (862) versus T1: 3117 (1622) MFI; p = 0.0269). Moreover, the percentage of intrahepatic MAIT cells significantly decreased after EI (T0: 11.1 (14.4) versus T1: 5.3 (9.3)%; p = 0.0029), in conjunction with significant improvements in fibrosis stage and hepatocyte ballooning. Conclusions: These data demonstrate independent benefits from dietary and exercise intervention and suggest a role for intrahepatic MAIT cells in the observed histological improvements in NAFLD.

Novice, intermediate and advanced baseball hitters followed a 7-week training programme, in which they received either behavioural training or decision training. Participants in the behavioural training group received simple-to-complex instruction, variable practice and an abundance of feedback throughout the acquisition period; the decision training group received complex instruction, variable practice and reduced delayed feedback. As predicted, the intermediate and advanced hitters who received decision training hit at a lower level (%) during acquisition but at a higher level during a transfer test in week 7. Novices in the behavioural training group were better than novices in the decision training group over both acquisition and transfer trials.

The trajectory of immunological and inflammatory changes following acute COVID-19 infection are unclear. We investigate immunological changes in convalescent COVID-19 and interrogate their potential relationships with persistent symptoms, termed long COVID.We performed paired immunophenotyping at initial SARS-CoV-2 infection and convalescence (n=40, median 68 days) and validated findings in 71 further patients at median 101 days convalescence. Results were compared to 40 pre-pandemic controls. Fatigue and exercise tolerance were assessed and investigated their relationship with convalescent results.We demonstrate persistent expansion of intermediate monocytes, effector CD8+, activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and reduced naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells at 68 days, with activated CD8+ T cells remaining increased at 101 days. Patients >60 years also demonstrate reduced naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and expanded activated CD4+ T cells at 101 days. Ill-health, fatigue, and reduced exercise tolerance were common but were not associated with immunological changes.Graphical Abstract