Abstract
Design:
Non-randomized study.
Objective:
To determine natural killer cell cytotoxic activity (NKCA) to 2-h arm ergometer exercise in persons with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and the underlying mechanism of such response.
Setting:
University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.
Methods:
We examined NKCA response to 2-h arm crank ergometer exercise at 60% of maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) in SCI and able-bodied persons. NKCA and plasma concentrations of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), adrenaline and cortisol were measured before, during and immediately after the exercise. The study included seven subjects with SCI between Th11 and L4 and six able-bodied persons.
Results:
NKCA in able-bodied subjects increased (P<0.05) at 60 min of exercise and immediately after the exercise, and remained elevated up to 2 h after exercise. However, NKCA in SCI decreased (P<0.05) immediately after exercise but recovered at 2 h after exercise. Plasma adrenaline in both groups increased significantly (P<0.05) immediately after exercise and returned to baseline level 2 h after the exercise. Plasma cortisol in both groups remained constant throughout the study. In SCI, PGE2 significantly increased immediately after 2 h exercise and returned to the baseline level 2 h after exercise; however, it remained unchanged during the test in able-bodied subjects.
Conclusion:
Our results suggested that increase of PGE2 in SCI partially contributes to NKCA.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Drs Yoshiya Tanaka and Tetsuya Okazaki for their clinical assistance. We are also grateful to Dr Hiroyuki Okawa, Dr Hiroshi Takahashi and Dr Yuichi Umezu for their great contribution in this project. We also thank Dr Faiq G Issa, from Word-Medex Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia (www.word-medex.com.au), for the careful reading and editing of the manuscript. We acknowledge the skilful assistance of Ms Satoko Aoki, Aya Katayama, Kazumi Ogura, Mr Koichi Monji and Sadanori Takeda. This project was supported in part by the Japanese National Foundation for Scientific Research.
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Ueta, M., Furusawa, K., Takahashi, M. et al. Attenuation of natural killer cell activity during 2-h exercise in individuals with spinal cord injuries. Spinal Cord 46, 26–32 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3102054
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3102054
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