Immune Response in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses under Training
Training has a great impact on the physiology of an athlete and, like all stressful stimuli, can trigger an innate immune response and inflammation, which is part of a wider coping strategy of the host to restore homeostasis. The Thoroughbred racehorse is a valid animal model to investigate these ch...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1809 |
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| author | Katia Cappelli Massimo Amadori Samanta Mecocci Arianna Miglio Maria Teresa Antognoni Elisabetta Razzuoli |
| author_facet | Katia Cappelli Massimo Amadori Samanta Mecocci Arianna Miglio Maria Teresa Antognoni Elisabetta Razzuoli |
| author_sort | Katia Cappelli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Training has a great impact on the physiology of an athlete and, like all stressful stimuli, can trigger an innate immune response and inflammation, which is part of a wider coping strategy of the host to restore homeostasis. The Thoroughbred racehorse is a valid animal model to investigate these changes thanks to its homogeneous training and highly selected genetic background. The aim of this study was to investigate modifications of the innate immune response and inflammation in young untrained Thoroughbred racehorses during the first training season through haematological and molecular investigations. Twenty-nine Thoroughbred racehorses were followed during their incremental 3-month sprint exercise schedule. Blood collection was performed at time 0 (T0; before starting the intense training period), 30 days after T0 (T30), and 90 days after T0 (T90). Haematological parameters (red and white blood cells, haemoglobin, and platelets) were evaluated and haematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and red cells width distribution + standard deviation (RDW-SD) were calculated. Moreover, via RT-qPCR, we investigated the expression of, Interleukin <i>1β (IL-1β),</i> Interleukin <i>4</i> (<i>IL-4)</i> Interleukin <i>6 (IL-6),</i> Interleukin <i>2 (IL-2),</i> Interleukin <i>3 (IL-3),</i> Interleukin <i>5 (IL-5)</i> Interleukin <i>8 (IL-8)</i>, Trasformig Growth Factor <i>β</i> and <i>α (TGF-β)</i>, Tumor necrosis factor <i>α</i> (<i>TNF-α)</i>, and Interferon <i>γ</i> (<i>IFN-γ</i>)genes. Main corpuscular volume (MCV) showed a significant (<i>p</i> = 0.008) increase at T90. Main corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) values were significantly augmented at both T30 (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and T90 (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Basophils were significant increased at T30 (<i>p</i> = 0.02) and eosinophils were significantly increased at T90 (<i>p</i> = 0.03). Significant differences in gene expression were found for all the genes under study, with the exception of <i>IFN-γ</i> and <i>TNF-α</i>. In particular, <i>IL-2</i> (T30, <i>p</i> = 0.011; T90, <i>p</i> = 0.015), <i>IL-4</i> (T30, <i>p</i> = 0.009; T90, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and <i>IL-8</i> (T30, <i>p</i> < 0.001; T90, <i>p</i> < 0.001) genes were significantly upregulated at both T30 and T90 with respect to T0, <i>TGF-β</i> was intensely downregulated at T30 (<i>p</i> < 0.001), <i>IL-5</i> gene expression was significantly decreased at T90 (<i>p</i> = 0.001), while <i>IL-1β</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.005) and <i>IL-3</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.001) expression was strongly augmented at the same time. This study highlighted long-term adjustments of O<sub>2</sub> transport capability that can be reasonably traced back to exercise adaptation. Moreover, the observed changes of granulocyte numbers and functions and inflammatory cytokine gene expression confirm a major role of the innate immune system in the response to the complex of stressful stimuli experienced during the training period. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:49:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6dd4b94995e943308f1af2c4fc7de3ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:49:47Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-6dd4b94995e943308f1af2c4fc7de3ca2023-11-20T16:06:41ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152020-10-011010180910.3390/ani10101809Immune Response in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses under TrainingKatia Cappelli0Massimo Amadori1Samanta Mecocci2Arianna Miglio3Maria Teresa Antognoni4Elisabetta Razzuoli5Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Universià degli Studi di Perugia, 06126 Perugia, ItalyRete Nazionale di Immunologia Veterinaria (Italian Society of Veterinary Immunology), via Istria, 3, 25125 Brescia, ItalyDipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Universià degli Studi di Perugia, 06126 Perugia, ItalyDipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Universià degli Studi di Perugia, 06126 Perugia, ItalyDipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Universià degli Studi di Perugia, 06126 Perugia, ItalyNational Reference Center of Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (CEROVEC), Piazza Borgo Pila 39/24, 16129 Genoa, ItalyTraining has a great impact on the physiology of an athlete and, like all stressful stimuli, can trigger an innate immune response and inflammation, which is part of a wider coping strategy of the host to restore homeostasis. The Thoroughbred racehorse is a valid animal model to investigate these changes thanks to its homogeneous training and highly selected genetic background. The aim of this study was to investigate modifications of the innate immune response and inflammation in young untrained Thoroughbred racehorses during the first training season through haematological and molecular investigations. Twenty-nine Thoroughbred racehorses were followed during their incremental 3-month sprint exercise schedule. Blood collection was performed at time 0 (T0; before starting the intense training period), 30 days after T0 (T30), and 90 days after T0 (T90). Haematological parameters (red and white blood cells, haemoglobin, and platelets) were evaluated and haematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and red cells width distribution + standard deviation (RDW-SD) were calculated. Moreover, via RT-qPCR, we investigated the expression of, Interleukin <i>1β (IL-1β),</i> Interleukin <i>4</i> (<i>IL-4)</i> Interleukin <i>6 (IL-6),</i> Interleukin <i>2 (IL-2),</i> Interleukin <i>3 (IL-3),</i> Interleukin <i>5 (IL-5)</i> Interleukin <i>8 (IL-8)</i>, Trasformig Growth Factor <i>β</i> and <i>α (TGF-β)</i>, Tumor necrosis factor <i>α</i> (<i>TNF-α)</i>, and Interferon <i>γ</i> (<i>IFN-γ</i>)genes. Main corpuscular volume (MCV) showed a significant (<i>p</i> = 0.008) increase at T90. Main corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) values were significantly augmented at both T30 (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and T90 (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Basophils were significant increased at T30 (<i>p</i> = 0.02) and eosinophils were significantly increased at T90 (<i>p</i> = 0.03). Significant differences in gene expression were found for all the genes under study, with the exception of <i>IFN-γ</i> and <i>TNF-α</i>. In particular, <i>IL-2</i> (T30, <i>p</i> = 0.011; T90, <i>p</i> = 0.015), <i>IL-4</i> (T30, <i>p</i> = 0.009; T90, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and <i>IL-8</i> (T30, <i>p</i> < 0.001; T90, <i>p</i> < 0.001) genes were significantly upregulated at both T30 and T90 with respect to T0, <i>TGF-β</i> was intensely downregulated at T30 (<i>p</i> < 0.001), <i>IL-5</i> gene expression was significantly decreased at T90 (<i>p</i> = 0.001), while <i>IL-1β</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.005) and <i>IL-3</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.001) expression was strongly augmented at the same time. This study highlighted long-term adjustments of O<sub>2</sub> transport capability that can be reasonably traced back to exercise adaptation. Moreover, the observed changes of granulocyte numbers and functions and inflammatory cytokine gene expression confirm a major role of the innate immune system in the response to the complex of stressful stimuli experienced during the training period.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1809thoroughbred racehorsecytokinesimmune responsestressintense training |
| spellingShingle | Katia Cappelli Massimo Amadori Samanta Mecocci Arianna Miglio Maria Teresa Antognoni Elisabetta Razzuoli Immune Response in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses under Training Animals thoroughbred racehorse cytokines immune response stress intense training |
| title | Immune Response in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses under Training |
| title_full | Immune Response in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses under Training |
| title_fullStr | Immune Response in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses under Training |
| title_full_unstemmed | Immune Response in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses under Training |
| title_short | Immune Response in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses under Training |
| title_sort | immune response in young thoroughbred racehorses under training |
| topic | thoroughbred racehorse cytokines immune response stress intense training |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1809 |
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