The Influence of Physical Exercise on Peritoneal Macrophage Functions: Histochemical and Phagocytic Studies

Abstract

Peritoneal murine macrophages were assayed for their enzyme content and phagocytic activity after physical exercise. An endurance training as well as a single exhaustive exercise bout caused increased enzyme and phagocytic activities. However, a homogeneous activation could not be observed. The exhaustively exercised animals delivered macrophages with the highest levels of activation. Therefore, physical exercise has to be listed among the stimuli with macrophage-activating function. The inconsistency between an activating effect of physical exercise on macrophages and the observation that high-performance athletes suffer more frequently from harmless infectious diseases is discussed.

Exercise‐induced stimulation of murine macrophage chemotaxis: role of corticosterone and prolactin as mediators.

“…Macrophages are an appropriate cell subset in which to study the influence of physical exercise and stress on the status of the immune system (Fehr, Lotzerich & Michna, 1988). It is important to study their non-specific immune response, because this cell population is the 'first hurdle' confronting infectious diseases within the body.…”

Exercise-induced modulation of macrophage function

“…In general, researchers have found that the acute exercise-induced effects seen in various peritoneal macrophage functions are somewhat attenuated after exercise training of 30 or less days duration, but are still significantly different from sedentary control animals. 33,35,36 This suggests that acute exercise (especially novel strenuous exercise) is a potent stimulus for altering peritoneal macrophage activity and that chronic training may cause adaptations that diminish the acute exercise response.…”

“…Aside from one study that found that acute exercise increased tissue macrophage chemotaxis and phagocytosis in humans, 28 most studies of exercise or stress on macrophage function have been performed using animal models obtaining macrophages from the spleen, peritoneum or alveoli. [32][33][34][35][36][37] and antitumour 11,38 activity. Our group has shown that both moderate and exhaustive treadmill running over periods of 3-7 days increases the antitumour activity of thioglycolate (TG)-elicited or P. acnes-activated peritoneal macrophages in young mice.…”

“…21 In another study, 25 days of treadmill running (15 m/min, 30 m/day) resulted in increased metabolic and lysosomal enzyme activities and enhanced phagocytic activity in murine peritoneal macrophages. 33 We have recently performed studies designed to examine the influence of exercise training on macrophage function in aged mice. It was previously thought that macrophage function was not dramatically altered in old animals or humans.…”

Alterações na produção de TNF-a e IL-10 no músculo esquelético de ratos com insuficiência cardíaca secundária a infarto do miocárdio: possível efeito antiinflamatório do treinamento aeróbio moderado.

“…In the same way, moderate intensity exercise training enhances immune function, whereas intense exercise training depresses the immune system (27,29). With regards to the influence of endurance training on the immune function, the results of animal experiments have shown an increase in phagocytic activity and in chemotaxis of peritoneal Ms, as well as of the proliferative response of T cells to mitogens (12,14,35,36). On the other hand, few studies have evaluated the immunomodulatory effect of exercise training on peritoneal M function, since activated Ms are important sources of pro-inflammatory factors.…”