Cold weather exercise and airway cytokine expression.
Abstract: Athletes who perform repeated exercise while breathing cold air have a high prevalence of asthmalike chronic airway disease, but the mechanism linking such activity to airway inflammation is unknown. We used a novel animal model (exercising horses) to test the hypothesis that exercise-induced chronic airway disease is caused by exposure of intrapulmonary airways to unconditioned air, resulting in the upregulation of cytokine expression. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was obtained from eight horses 5 h after submaximal exercise while they breathed room temperature or subfreezing air in a random crossover design. BALF total and differential nucleated cell counts were determined, and relative cytokine mRNA expression in BALF nucleated cells was quantified by real-time RT-PCR using primer and probe sequences specific for equine targets. There were no significant changes in total or differential cell concentrations between BALF recovered after warm and cold air exercise, although there was a strong trend toward increased concentrations of airway epithelial cells after cold air exercise (P = 0.0625). T(H)2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 were preferentially upregulated after cold air exercise 12-, 9-, and 10-fold, respectively, compared with warm air exercise. Other cytokines (IL-2 and IL-6) were upregulated to a lesser extent (6- and 3-fold, respectively) or not at all (IL-1, IL-8, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha). These results suggest that cold weather exercise can lead to asthmalike airway disease through the local induction of cytokines typical of the T(H)2 phenotype.
Publication Date: 2005-02-10 PubMed ID: 15705724DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01218.2004Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- N.I.H.
- Extramural
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research investigates whether repeated exercise in cold air conditions, which is known to cause a high prevalence of asthma-like airway disease in athletes, is linked to airway inflammation due to increased cytokine expression. Experimenting on horses, the study results show that cold weather exercise could indeed lead to this disease, primarily through local induction of specific cytokines.
Objective and Methodology
- The objective of this research was to investigate the underlying mechanism that connects repeated exercise in cold air with an increase in cases of chronic airway disease similar to asthma in athletes.
- To perform the research, a novel animal model was used – exercising horses. The researchers chose horses because, like humans, they also perform high-intensity aerobic exercise and have similar respiratory physiology.
- The researchers hypothesized that the cascade towards chronic airway disease is triggered by exposure to unconditioned air, which in turn causes an upsurge in the expression of cytokines.
- The study was conducted using a random crossover design. Eight horses were made to exercise submaximally and the air they breathed alternated between room temperature and subfreezing.
Data Collection and Analysis
- After exercise, the researchers collected Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from the horses. BALF is a fluid that can be collected from the lungs and it is used to assess inflammation in the airways.
- The total and differential cell counts of the BALF were determined. Researchers also quantified the relative cytokine mRNA expression in the nucleated cells of the BALF using real-time RT-PCR.
- The researchers were specifically looking for changes in the concentrations of different cell types, and in the expression of specific cytokines after the horses breathed both warm and cold air during exercise.
Findings
- After analyzing the collected BALF, the study reported that there were no significant changes in total or differential cell concentrations corresponding to whether the horses had breathed warm or cold air during exercise.
- However, a strong trend was observed towards increased concentrations of airway epithelial cells after exercise in cold air, although this was not statistically significant.
- Importantly, the T(H)2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 were found to be upregulated significantly more after exercise in cold air compared to warm air.
- Other cytokines, IL-2 and IL-6, were also upregulated, but to a lesser extent, and others still (IL-1, IL-8, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha) showed no upregulation at all.
Conclusion
- The findings from this study support the hypothesis and suggest that the increases in cytokine expression following cold weather exercise could indeed lead to asthmalike airway disease.
- Moreover, this process appears to be primarily driven by the local induction of cytokine simple of the T(H)2 phenotype in the airways after exposure to cold air.
Cite This Article
APA
Davis MS, Malayer JR, Vandeventer L, Royer CM, McKenzie EC, Williamson KK.
(2005).
Cold weather exercise and airway cytokine expression.
J Appl Physiol (1985), 98(6), 2132-2136.
https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01218.2004 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Comparative Exercise Physiology Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, 264 McElroy Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA. msdavis@okstate.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / chemistry
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / immunology
- Cold Temperature
- Cross-Over Studies
- Cytokines / immunology
- Erythroblasts / cytology
- Erythroblasts / immunology
- Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
- Horses
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / methods
- Weather
Grant Funding
- 1R01 RR 016109-01A2 / NCRR NIH HHS
Citations
This article has been cited 19 times.- Ko Y, Ngai ZN, Koh RY, Chye SM. Association among Lifestyle and Risk Factors with SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Tuberc Respir Dis (Seoul) 2023 Apr;86(2):102-110.
- Kang H, Bienzle D, Lee GKC, Piché É, Viel L, Odemuyiwa SO, Beeler-Marfisi J. Flow cytometric analysis of equine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells in horses with and without severe equine asthma. Vet Pathol 2022 Jan;59(1):91-99.
- Brankston G, Greer AL, Marshall Q, Lang B, Moore K, Hodgins D, Hennessey JTG, Beeler-Marfisi J. Increased Weekly Mean PM(2.5), and NO(2) Are Associated With Increased Proportions of Lower Airway Granulocytes in Ontario Horses. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:185.
- Kim JH, Jang YS, Kim HI, Park JY, Park SH, Hwang YI, Jang SH, Jung KS, Park HS, Park CS. Activation of Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin Family Member 8 (TRPM8) Receptors Induces Proinflammatory Cytokine Expressions in Bronchial Epithelial Cells. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res 2020 Jul;12(4):684-700.
- Hue E, Orard M, Toquet MP, Depecker M, Couroucé A, Pronost S, Paillot R, Richard EA. Asymmetrical Pulmonary Cytokine Profiles Are Linked to Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Cytology of Horses With Mild Airway Neutrophilia. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:226.
- Davis KU, Sheats MK. Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytology Characteristics and Seasonal Changes in a Herd of Pastured Teaching Horses. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:74.
- Reid M, Gunn J, Shah S, Donovan M, Eggo R, Babin S, Stajner I, Rogers E, Ensor KB, Raun L, Levy JI, Painter I, Phipatanakul W, Yip F, Nath A, Streichert LC, Tong C, Burkom H. Cross-Disciplinary Consultancy to Enhance Predictions of Asthma Exacerbation Risk in Boston. Online J Public Health Inform 2016;8(3):e199.
- Couëtil LL, Cardwell JM, Gerber V, Lavoie JP, Léguillette R, Richard EA. Inflammatory Airway Disease of Horses--Revised Consensus Statement. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Mar-Apr;30(2):503-15.
- Crosswhite P, Chen K, Sun Z. AAV delivery of tumor necrosis factor-α short hairpin RNA attenuates cold-induced pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial remodeling. Hypertension 2014 Nov;64(5):1141-50.
- Capomaccio S, Cappelli K, Spinsanti G, Mencarelli M, Muscettola M, Felicetti M, Verini Supplizi A, Bonifazi M. Athletic humans and horses: comparative analysis of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in trained and untrained subjects at rest. BMC Physiol 2011 Jan 21;11:3.
- Riihimäki M, Raine A, Elfman L, Pringle J. Markers of respiratory inflammation in horses in relation to seasonal changes in air quality in a conventional racing stable. Can J Vet Res 2008 Oct;72(5):432-9.
- Sabnis AS, Shadid M, Yost GS, Reilly CA. Human lung epithelial cells express a functional cold-sensing TRPM8 variant. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2008 Oct;39(4):466-74.
- Sabnis AS, Reilly CA, Veranth JM, Yost GS. Increased transcription of cytokine genes in human lung epithelial cells through activation of a TRPM8 variant by cold temperatures. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2008 Jul;295(1):L194-200.
- Riihimäki M, Raine A, Pourazar J, Sandström T, Art T, Lekeux P, Couëtil L, Pringle J. Epithelial expression of mRNA and protein for IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in endobronchial biopsies in horses with recurrent airway obstruction. BMC Vet Res 2008 Feb 23;4:8.
- Babin SM, Burkom HS, Holtry RS, Tabernero NR, Stokes LD, Davies-Cole JO, DeHaan K, Lee DH. Pediatric patient asthma-related emergency department visits and admissions in Washington, DC, from 2001-2004, and associations with air quality, socio-economic status and age group. Environ Health 2007 Mar 21;6:9.
- Lendl L, Barton AK. Equine Asthma Diagnostics: Review of Influencing Factors and Difficulties in Diagnosing Subclinical Disease. Animals (Basel) 2024 Dec 4;14(23).
- Mańkowska A, Witkowska D. The Most Common Environmental Risk Factors for Equine Asthma-A Narrative Review. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jul 14;14(14).
- Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O, Malin K, Dąbrowska I, Grzędzicka J, Ostaszewski P, Carter C. Immunology of Physical Exercise: Is Equus caballus an Appropriate Animal Model for Human Athletes?. Int J Mol Sci 2024 May 10;25(10).
- Leduc L, Costa M, Leclère M. The Microbiota and Equine Asthma: An Integrative View of the Gut-Lung Axis. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jan 13;14(2).
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
