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

Stefano Capomaccio,Michela Muscettola,Andrea Supplizi,Marzia Mencarelli,Marco Bonifazi,Giacomo Spinsanti,Katia Cappelli,Michela Felicetti

doi:10.1186/1472-6793-11-3

Stefano Capomaccio, Michela Muscettola + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6793-11-3

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Journal: BMC Physiology	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2011
Citations: 66	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: University of Perugia, University of Siena

Abstract

BackgroundHorses and humans share a natural proclivity for athletic performance. In this respect, horses can be considered a reference species in studies designed to optimize physical training and disease prevention. In both species, interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a major role in regulating the inflammatory process induced during exercise as part of an integrated metabolic regulatory network. The aim of this study was to compare IL-6 and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in trained and untrained humans and horses.ResultsNine highly trained male swimmers (training volume: 21.6 ± 1.7 h/wk in 10-12 sessions) were compared with two age-matched control groups represented by eight lightly trained runners (training volume: 6.4 ± 2.6 h/wk in 3-5 sessions) and nine untrained subjects. In addition, eight trained horses (training volume: 8.0 ± 2.1 h/wk in 3-4 sessions) were compared with eight age-matched sedentary mares. In humans, IL-6 mRNA levels in PBMCs determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were significantly higher in highly trained subjects, whereas IL-6R expression did not differ among groups. In horses, transcripts of both IL-6 and IL-6R were significantly up-regulated in the trained group.ConclusionsUp-regulation of IL-6R expression in PBMCs in horses could reflect a mechanism that maintains an adequate anti-inflammatory environment at rest through ubiquitous production of anti-inflammatory cytokines throughout the body. These findings suggest that the system that controls the inflammatory response in horses is better adapted to respond to exercise than that in humans.

Highlights

Horses and humans share a natural proclivity for athletic performance
Among the components of this hormone-regulatory network is the pleiotropic cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6), which modulates the function of immune cells in response to exercise and training, thereby playing a major role in the exercise-induced inflammatory process [12]
The results showed that glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was always the least stable control; its use to normalize quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction experiments on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) samples should preferably be avoided

Summary

Introduction

Horses can be considered a reference species in studies designed to optimize physical training and disease prevention In both species, interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a major role in regulating the inflammatory process induced during exercise as part of an integrated metabolic regulatory network. Humans and horses are closely linked, because of their historical and cultural backgrounds, and because they share a natural aptitude for athletic performance This similarity has prompted some researchers to consider the horse a reference species for Recent years have seen an exponential increase in specific molecular information, opening new paths of knowledge and providing interesting results that could be used to optimize physical training and prevent diseases. On the basis of these observations, it has been proposed that exercise exerts a protective, long-term anti-inflammatory effect [14]

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