Interaction between polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) and platelets is important in the pathogenesis of thrombosis and inflammation. This study investigates how strenuous, acute exercise affects PMN oxidative burst activity under adherence to surface-adherent platelets. Thirty sedentary healthy men exercised strenuously (up to maximal oxygen consumption) on a bicycle ergometer. Before and immediately after exercise, the kinetics of oxidant production, phosphorylation of various protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, and translocation of p47phox in PMNs under adherence to surface-adherent platelets were measured using fluorescence microscopy combined with computerized image analysis. Analytical results can be summarized as follows: (i) either treating the platelet with P-selectin (CD62P) and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (CD41) antibodies or treating the PMN with 2-integrin (CD18) and Mac-1 (CD11b) anti-bodies and PKC pseudosubstrate effectively inhibits platelet-promoted oxidant production of PMN; (ii) PMNs adhesion to surface-adherent platelets is associated with a higher amount of phospho-PKC and a larger ratio of membrane to cytosolic p47phox than suspended PMNs; (iii) strenuous, acute exercise decreases platelet-promoted oxidant production of PMN and is accompanied by suppressed phosphorylation of PKC, translocation of p47phox, and inhibition of PKC pseudosubstrate to oxidant production; (iv) no significant changes occur in PKC/II and phosphorylation of adherent PMNs following this exercise. Therefore, we conclude that strenuous, acute exercise suppresses platelet-promoted oxidative burst of PMN, possibly by reducing phosphorylation of PKC and translocation of the cytosolic p47phox to the plasma membrane, thus inhibiting the assembly and activation of NADPH oxidase in PMN.
Print ISSN: 0340-6245
Volume: 92, 11/2004
Pages: 1076 - 1085