Redox Status and Immune Function
- Conditions
- Aseptic InflammationSkeletal Muscle FunctionSkeletal Muscle Damage
- Interventions
- Dietary Supplement: n-acetylcysteineDietary Supplement: Placebo
- Registration Number
- NCT02930031
- Lead Sponsor
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Brief Summary
In this investigation the investigators utilized N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation to enhance reduced glutathione (GSH) stores during an 8-day recovery period from a strenuous eccentric exercise protocol in order to test the hypotheses: i) redox status perturbations in skeletal muscle are pivotal for the immune responses and ii) antioxidant supplementation may alter immune cell responses following exercise-induced muscle microtrauma.
- Detailed Description
The major thiol-disulfide couple of GSH and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) is a crucial regulator of the main transcriptional pathways regulating aseptic inflammation and recovery of skeletal muscle following aseptic injury. Antioxidant supplementation may hamper exercise-induced inflammatory responses.
The objective was to examine how thiol-based antioxidant supplementation affects immune mobilization following exercise-induced skeletal muscle microtrauma. In a two-trial, double-blind, crossover, repeated measures design, 10 young men received either placebo or NAC (20 mg/kg/day) immediately after a muscle-damaging exercise protocol (300 eccentric contractions) and for eight consecutive days. Blood sampling and performance assessment were performed pre-exercise, 2h post-exercise and daily for 8 consecutive days.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- Male
- Target Recruitment
- 10
- Recreationally trained (VO2max > 45 ml/kg/min)
- Engaged in regular exercise for ≥3 times/week for > 12 months
- non-smokers
- Abstain from exercise during the course of the two trials
- No consumption of performance-enhancing substances, antioxidants, caffeine, alcohol and/or medications during the study.
- NAC intolerance
- Recent musculoskeletal injuries of the lower limbs
- Febrile illness
- History of muscle lesion.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- CROSSOVER
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description n-acetylcysteine n-acetylcysteine orally in three daily dosages, at 20 mg/kg/day, daily for eight days after exercise Placebo Placebo orally in three daily dosages, content: 500 mL drink that contained water (375 mL), sugar-free cordial (125 ml), and 2 g of low-calorie glucose/dextrose powder
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Changes in protein carbonyls in red blood cells Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Concentration of protein carbonyls
Changes in total antioxidant capacity in serum Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Changes in oxidized glutathione in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Concentration of oxidized glutathione in red blood cells
Changes in creatine kinase activity in serum Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Changes in lymphocyte count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of lymphocyte count in blood
Changes in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in red blood cells Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentration in red blood cells
Changes in reduced glutathione in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Concentration of reduced glutathione in red blood cells
Changes in high sensitivity C-reactive protein in serum Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, 1 day post-exercise, 2 days post-exercise, 3 days post-exercise Changes in catalase activity in red blood cells Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Changes in HLA+/Macr+ macrophage count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of HLA+/Macr+ count in blood
Changes in natural killer (NK) cell count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of natural killer cell count in blood
Changes in adhesion molecule concentration in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, 1 day post-exercise, 2 days post-exercise, 3 days post-exercise Measurement of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) concentrations in plasma
Changes in neutrophil count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of neutrophil count in blood
Changes in basophil count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of baseophil count in blood
Changes in eosinophil count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of eosinophil count in blood
Changes in T cytotoxic cell count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of T cytotoxic cell count in blood
Changes in white blood cell count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Changes in cytokine concentration in serum Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, 1 day post-exercise, 2 days post-exercise, 3 days post-exercise, 8 days post-exercise Measurement of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)
Changes in T-helper cell count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of T-helper cell count in blood
Changes in natural killer-T (NK-T) cell count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of NK-T cell count in blood
Changes in monocyte count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of monocyte count in blood
Changes in B lympho cell count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of B lympho cell count in blood
Changes in macrophage count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of macrophage count in blood
Changes in 62L macrophage count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of 62L macrophage count in blood
Changes in 11B+ macrophage count in blood Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Cytofluorometric analysis of 11B+ macrophage count in blood
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Changes in muscle performance Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Assessment of maximal knee extensor eccentric peak torque on an isokinetic dynamometer at 60o/s.
Changes in delayed onset of muscle soreness Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Assessment of the delayed onset of muscle soreness by palpation of the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris following a squat motion
Maximal aerobic capacity One day before exercise Assessment of maximal oxygen consumption
Body composition One day before exercise Measurement of body composition by Dual Emission X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)
Changes in dietary intake profile One day before exercise and daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise Assessment of dietary intake with emphasis on antioxidant element intake
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Athens, Medical School, Department of Clinical Therapeutics
🇬🇷Athens, Greece