The Effect of Acute Physical Exercise on Natural Killer Cells Populations and Cytokine Levels in Healthy Women

Estefania Quintana-Mendias; Judith M Rodríguez-Villalobos; Argel Gastelum-Arellanez; Natanael Cervantes; Claudia E Carrasco-Legleu; Gerardo Pavel Espino-Solis

doi:10.3390/sports11100189

The Effect of Acute Physical Exercise on Natural Killer Cells Populations and Cytokine Levels in Healthy Women

Sports (Basel). 2023 Oct 2;11(10):189. doi: 10.3390/sports11100189.

Authors

Estefania Quintana-Mendias¹, Judith M Rodríguez-Villalobos¹, Argel Gastelum-Arellanez², Natanael Cervantes¹, Claudia E Carrasco-Legleu¹, Gerardo Pavel Espino-Solis³

Affiliations

¹ Research Laboratories, Faculty of Physical Culture Sciences, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Campus II, Periférico de la Juventud y Circuito Universitario S/N. Fracc, Campo Bello 31125, Mexico.
² Departamento de Ciencias Quimico Biologicas, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Av. Benjamín Franklin No. 4650, Zona Pronaf Condominio La Plata, Cd Juárez 32310, Mexico.
³ National Laboratory of Flow Cytometry, Faculty of Medicine, and Biomedical Sciences, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Circuito Universitario s/n, Campus II, Chihuahua 31125, Mexico.

Abstract

Physical exercise generates a systemic response in the immune system. It has been observed that cell populations respond to exercise stimuli, especially Natural Killer cells, whose number increase within minutes of starting physical exertion. This study aimed to evaluate the acute effect of moderate- and high-intensity exercise on immunological markers in healthy women. As specific objectives, the percentages of CD3^-CD56⁺ Natural Killer total cells, CD56^brightCD16^dim effector subpopulation, CD56^dimCD16^bright cytotoxic subpopulation, NKG2A inhibition receptor, NKG2D activation receptor, and NKT cells were analyzed. In addition, the levels of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, and TNF and the chemokines CCL5/RANTES, CXCL9/MIG, CCL2/MCP-1, and CXCL10/IP-10 were also analyzed. Natural Killer total cells showed an increase in their percentage in both exercise protocols (p = 0.001 for the moderate-intensity group and p = 0.023 for the high-intensity group); however, only in the high-intensity exercise session was there an increase in the CD56^dimCD16^bright cytotoxic subpopulation (p = 0.014), as well as a decrease in CD56^brightCD16^dim effector subpopulation (p = 0.001) and their NKG2A inhibition receptor (p = 0.043). An increase in IL-6 was observed after the high-intensity exercise session (p = 0.025). Conclusions. Physical exercise influences immunological markers and shows an acute response to moderate- or high-intensity exercise.

Keywords: Natural Killer cells; cytokine profile; exercise.

Grants and funding

GPES sincerely acknowledges funding from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), Ciencia Básica Grant No. A1-S-53789. GPES, as part of Laboratorio Nacional de Citometría de Flujo, appreciates the support from CONACYT-Apoyos para Acciones de Fortalecimiento, Articulación de Infraestructura y Desarrollo de Proyectos Científicos, Tecnológicos y de Innovación en Laboratorios Nacionales Grant No. 315807.