GLUTAMINE SUPPLEMENTATION PREVENTS THE DECREASE OF MITOGEN RESPONSE AFTER A TREADMILL EXERCISE IN RATS

The effect of glutamine (Gln)-supplemented diet on mitogen response de creased immediately after a treadmill exercise was examined by measuri ng the proliferations of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) with phyto hemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (ConA) in male Fisher rats. Alt hough the plasma Gin concentration was significantly decreased in the control group immediately after a treadmill exercise (20 m/min, 60 min ) compared to rested rats, plasma Gin concentration of rats fed Gin-su pplemented diet for 3 weeks was significantly higher than that of cont rol group in resting and was not significantly decreased even immediat ely after a treadmill exercise. In addition, proliferation of PBL with PHA or ConA and interleukin 2 (IL2) production were also significantl y decreased immediately after a treadmill exercise in control group. O n the contrary, their functions were almost maintained in Gin-suppleme nted group even immediately after a treadmill exercise. PBL from rats fed Gin-supplemented diet showed a higher response to mitogens such as PHA and ConA compared to the control group. Furthermore, their PBL sh owed higher incorporation of [H-3]Gln compared to that of the control group irrespective of treadmill exercise. These results indicate that the preventive effect of Gin-supplemented diet on mitogen response dec reased after a treadmill exercise is due to an increased response to m itogen and increased uptake of Gin as sources of fuel and nucleotides to the immune cells.