Qi-training induced and endogenous growth hormone mediated priming events of neutrophils in the elderly

Objective

This study was designed to evaluate the hypothesis that the changes of neutrophils function for superoxide (O₂^–) production in response to Qi-training were mediated by the increased endogenous growth hormone (GH) in elderly men.

Materials and methods

Healthy elderly men (65 years) performed ChunDo-SunBup Qi-training and blood samples were drawn in basal state, during and after Qi-training. The isolated neutrophils were triggered with PMA or fMLP. To verify whether the endogenous GH mediates the priming of neutrophils, the plasma isolated from elderly subjects in basal state, during and after the Qi-training was added to the neutrophils from other young subjects for 60 min and triggered by PMA.

Results

The GH concentrations were significantly increased during and after Qi-training (n = 10). Plasma from Qi-trained subjects was significantly increased in the O₂^– production of neutrophils (n = 6, P < 0.05) whereas there was no change in the number of neutrophils. Significant (P < 0.05) increase of O₂^– production of neutrophils by the plasma collected after Qi-training was observed (n = 6). On the other hand, the priming effect of neutrophils was abolished by the plasma substracting endogenous GH with anti-human GH polyclonal antibody (n = 6). Furthermore, we found that genistein modulates the priming events of neutrophils induced by the plasma collected after Qi-training.

Conclusion

Taken together, these results suggest that the endogenous GH released from during and immediately after Qi-training mediates the priming events through tyrosine kinase activation of neutrophils in elderly men.

(This research was supported by the Brain Korea 21 Project in 2002.)