What is it about?

Whole body exercise induces alterations in lymphocyte subset percentages in peripheral blood in young healthy men both before and after antioxidants. Resistive breathing, namely breathing through an inspiratory resistance, produces similar alterations that are blunted after the administration of antioxidants.

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Why is it important?

Resistive breathing, a hallmark of diseases of airway obstruction, is a form of exercise for the inspiratory muscles. We have shown for the first time that inspiratory resistive breathing induces lymphocyte subset alterations through an oxidative stress-dependent pathway. Lymphocytes are key immune cells that regulate both innate and adaptive immunity. Increased airway resistance may not only induce inflammation and lung injury, but also precipitate, through oxidative stress, peripheral immune alterations

Perspectives

In this study we show that in healthy humans resistive breathing, a hallmark of obstructive pulmonary diseases pathophysiology and a form of exercise for the respiratory muscles, produces alterations in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets similar to whole body exercise. These alterations following resistive breathing are mediated by an oxidative stress dependent pathway, since the administration of antioxidants blunted most of these changes. In contrast, peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets alterations after whole body exercise were minimally affected by antioxidant administration. Our findings are clinically relevant considering that lymphocytes are key immune cells in the pathogenesis of obstructive pulmonary diseases where resistive breathing occurs. We believe that our study is novel and contributes to the understanding of the association of airway obstruction, oxidative stress and the immune system adaptation that occurs in diseases such as COPD and asthma. The present study comes in conjunction with our previous findings (in human and animal studies) were resistive breathing produced respiratory muscle injury, systemic and lung inflammation and lung injury.

Andreas Asimakos
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

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This page is a summary of: Immune cell response to strenuous resistive breathing: comparison with whole body exercise and the effects of antioxidants, International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, February 2018, Dove Medical Press,
DOI: 10.2147/copd.s154533.
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