G. Grasso et al., GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTORS IN HUMAN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS IN RELATION TO AGE AND TO SPORT ACTIVITY, Life sciences, 61(3), 1997, pp. 301-308
Citations number
43
Categorie Soggetti
Biology,"Medicine, Research & Experimental","Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Glucocorticoid receptors (GR) are ubiquitous molecules and are present
also in the hippocampus and in several other nervous and immune tissu
es. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are a good model for st
udies of GR in humans. Glucocorticoids are important for maintaining c
ellular and humoral homeostasis and are key mediators of neuroendocrin
e-immune regulatory interactions. The increase of cortisol is immunosu
ppressive and reduces GR concentration both in nervous and immune syst
ems. Variation of glucocorticoids in healthy aged subjects and athlete
s has been shown. Prompted by these results, we have investigated in m
an a possible relationship between GR binding capacity in the PBMCs an
d age, in relation also to plasma testosterone and cortisol. The same
parameters have been examined in a group of soccer players for compari
son with the sedentary group. GR binding capacity was higher in younge
r subjects than in older ones, and lower in the group of athletes than
in the younger and older sedentary subjects. In the sedentary group a
negative correlation was present between GR binding capacity and age.
Plasma cortisol was higher and testosterone lower in the athletes; th
ey were negatively correlated in athletes and positively correlated in
the sedentary subjects. The results for athletes agree with their low
er anabolic/catabolic balance. The mechanism of reduced GR levels in r
elation to age and sport activity could involve a loss or an involutio
n of receptor synthesis. However other possibilities, such as altered
distribution of lymphocyte subpopulations with different receptor conc
entrations and with different cytokine production, cannot be excluded.
Several neuroendocrine-immune interactions could be responsible for r
educed GR levels with age and sport activity in man.