Effects of training on spleen and peritoneal exudate reactive oxygen species and lymphocyte proliferation by splenocytes at rest and after an acute bout of exercise.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of regular exercise on spleen and peritoneal exudate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lymphocyte proliferation by splenocytes. Twenty-four female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into trained (n = 12) and untrained (n = 12) groups. These two groups were further divided into mice that were studied at rest (trained/rest, n = 5; untrained/rest, n = 6) and immediately after a 2 h acute bout of exercise (trained/exercise, n = 6; untrained/exercise, n = 6). The animals were bred in the animal facility of the Yonsei University College of Medicine, where they were housed in a temperature- (22 - 24 degrees Celsius) and humidity- (50 - 60%) controlled environment, with a 12 h photoperiod, and provided with food and water ad libitum. The trained mice underwent 10 weeks of endurance swimming training (5 days per week) in water at 26 - 29 degrees Celsius for 60 min. Changes in body mass, proliferative activity and the production of reactive oxygen species from spleen lymphocytes and peritoneal exudate cells were determined. The splenic lymphocytes of the trained mice had much greater proliferative activity than those of the untrained mice (P < 0.05). Trained mice had lower ROS production in splenic lymphocytes and peritoneal exudate cells than untrained mice. In both groups, there was substantial inhibition of proliferative activity stimulated with medium, concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide following the acute bout of exercise. This may have been caused by excessive ROS production following the acute exercise session.