Phagocytic function in cyclists: correlation with catecholamines and cortisol.
Ortega, E., J. M., Marchena J. J. García, A. Schmidt, T. Schulz, I. Malpica, A. B
Rodríguez, C. Barriga, H. Michna and H. Lötzerich.
1Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura,
06071 Badajoz, Spain; and 2Institute of Morphology and Tumor Research, Deutch
Sporthoschule Köln. 50933-Köln, Germany
APStracts 8:0251A, 2001.
Flow cytometer measurements were made of the basal variations in peripheral blood
functional monocytes and granulocytes over the course of a training season (January to
November) of a cycling team. Parallel determinations were made of plasma concentration
of catecholamines (chromatography) and cortisol (RIA) in a search for neuroendocrine
markers. The results showed the greatest phagocytic capacity to occur in the central
months (March, May, and July), coinciding with the greatest number and highest level of
competitive events with good correlation with a peak in epinephrine during these months
(r2 = 0.998 for monocytes and r2 = 0.674 for granulocytes). No good correlations were
found between phagocytosis and norepinephrine or cortisol. The highest values for
phagocytosis and epinephrine concentration were found in May. These results suggest
that blood epinephrine concentration could be a good neuroendocrine marker of
sportspeople's phagocytic response.
Received 7 September 2000; accepted in final form 19 April 2001
APS Manuscript Number A795-0.
Article publication pending J Appl Physiol
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 2001 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 18 June 2001