We have reported that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training attenuates airway inflammation in mice sensitized/challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). The current study determined the effects of repeated bouts of aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity on airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in these mice. Mice were sensitized/ challenged with OVA or saline and exercised at a moderate intensity 3 times/week for 4 weeks. At protocol completion, mice were analyzed for changes in AHR via mechanical ventilation. Results show that exercise decreased total lung resistance 60% in OVAtreated mice as compared with controls; exercise also decreased airway smooth muscle (ASM) thickness. In contrast, exercise increased circulating epinephrine levels 3-fold in saline-and OVAtreated mice. Because epinephrine binds b 2 -adrenergic receptors (AR), which facilitate bronchodilatation, the role of b 2 -AR in exercise-mediated improvements in AHR was examined. Application of the b 2 -AR antagonist butoxamine HCl blocked the effects of exercise on lung resistance in OVA-treated mice. In parallel, ASM cells were examined for changes in the protein expression of b 2 -AR and G-protein receptor kinase-2 (GRK-2); GRK-2 promotes b 2 -AR desensitization. Exercise had no effect on b 2 -AR expression in ASM cells of OVA-treated mice; however, exercise decreased GRK-2 expression by 50% as compared with controls. Exercise also decreased prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) production 5-fold, but had no effect on E prostanoid-1 (EP1) receptor expression within the lungs of OVA-treated mice; both PGE 2 and the EP1 receptor have been implicated in b 2 -AR desensitization. Together, these data indicate that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training attenuates AHR via a mechanism that involves b 2 -AR.Keywords: asthma; airway hyperresponsiveness; exercise; b 2 -adrenergic receptor Allergic or atopic asthma, the most common form of asthma, is identified by the presence of characteristic clinical symptoms of wheezing, chest tightness, dyspnea and cough, and by the presence of reversible airway narrowing and/or airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to a variety of inhaled bronchoconstrictor stimuli. For the treatment of asthma-associated AHR, patients are typically administered inhaled, long-acting b 2 -agonists. b 2 -agonists bind to and activate b 2 -adrenergic receptors (b 2 -AR), which are expressed on a variety of cell types, including airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells, airway epithelial cells, and mast cells (1).Several clinical studies suggest that continued aerobic exercise training improves the overall physical fitness and health of individuals with asthma and reduces their disease-related hospital admissions (2-4); these studies also observed improvements in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction after physical training. We have reported previously that moderate intensity aerobic exercise training reduces lung inflammatory responses in an ovalbumin (OVA)-driven mouse model of pulmonary inflammation (5, 6).Repetitive exercise increases the levels of circulating...