The Effects of Aerobic Training and Age on Plasma sICAM-1.

Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation plays a role in the development of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Habitual endurance exercise training reduces the risk of CV disease in part through anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of age, endurance training status, and their interaction on pro-inflammatory plasma cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of CV disease. Subjects were BMI-matched young (25 ± 3 years, endurance trained: n = 9,sedentary: n = 11) and older (62 ± 5 years, endurance-trained: n = 12,sedentary: n = 11) men. Plasma cytokine concentrations were determined by multiplex cytometric bead assay. Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) levels were 40 % higher in sedentary older men compared to young sedentary subjects ( P = 0.048),but they were not different between the young and older trained men. Furthermore,sICAM-1 levels were negatively correlated with maximal oxygen uptake (V' O 2 max,r = - 0.38,P = 0.01) across all subjects. There were no significant differences among the groups in plasma concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1),soluble tumor necrosis-α receptor (sTNFR),soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L),orresistin. We conclude that habitual endurance training is associated with an attenuated agerelated increase in plasma sICAM-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]