Effect of Diet and Exercise on the Peripheral Immune System in Young Balb/c Mice.

B E Martínez-Carrillo,V Rivera-Aguilar,R Campos-Rodríguez,R Valdés-Ramos,R A Jarillo-Luna

doi:10.1155/2015/458470

Abstract

Although diet and exercise clearly have an influence on immune function, studies are scarce on the effect caused by exercise and the consumption of a carbohydrate-rich or fat-rich diet on the peripheral immune system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of exercise and the two aforementioned unbalanced diets on young Balb/c mice, especially in relation to BMI, the level of glucose, and the percentage of lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood. The changes found were then related to the synthesis of leptin and adiponectin as well as the production of oxidative stress. The increase in BMI found with the carbohydrate-rich and fat-rich diets showed correlation with the levels of leptin and adiponectin. An increase in leptin and a decrease in adiponectin directly correlated with an increase in total lymphocytes and CD4+ cells and with a decrease in B cells. The increase in leptin also correlated with an increase in CD8+ cells. Glycemia and oxidative stress increased with the two unbalanced diets, negatively affecting the proliferation of total lymphocytes and the percentage of B cells, apparently by causing alterations in proteins through carbonylation. These alterations caused by an unbalanced diet were not modified by moderate exercise.

Highlights

To maintain an optimum state of health, consumption of a balanced diet is required
The present results provide evidence that the consumption of unbalanced diets increases glycemia and oxidative damage to lymphocytes in peripheral blood, affecting the proliferation of these cells in vitro and modifying the percentages of T and B lymphocytes in vivo
The secretion of leptin and adiponectin was affected by unbalanced diets

Summary

Introduction

To maintain an optimum state of health, consumption of a balanced diet is required. Such a balance includes diverse nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids [1, 2]. Lipids exert a modulating effect on the function of immune cells, since fatty acids are part of their cellular composition [3]. The composition of fatty acids in the diet is likely to affect the immune response. For this reason, it has been suggested that the content of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet may have an immunomodulatory effect [4], which could possibly be used in the treatment of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases [5]. An increase in the consumption of carbohydrates modifies the number of blood cells, diminishes phagocytosis and the respiratory burst of neutrophils and macrophages, and decreases the production of proinflammatory cytokines [6,7,8,9,10,11]

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Conclusion