Biomedical subjects

Anja Lechtermann

Publications and source records attributed to Anja Lechtermann.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

High impact running improves learning.

Regular physical exercise improves cognitive functions and lowers the risk for age-related cognitive decline. Since little is known about the nature and the timing of the underlying mechanisms, we probed whether exercise also has immediate beneficial effects on cognition. Learning performance was assessed directly after high impact anaerobic sprints, low impact aerobic running, or a period of rest in 27 healthy subjects in a randomized cross-over design. Dependent variables comprised learning speed as well as immediate (1 week) and long-term (>8 months) overall success in acquiring a novel vocabulary. Peripheral levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine) were assessed prior to and after the interventions as well as after learning. We found that vocabulary learning was 20 percent faster after intense physical exercise as compared to the other two conditions. This condition also elicited the strongest increases in BDNF and catecholamine levels. More sustained BDNF levels during learning after intense exercise were related to better short-term learning success, whereas absolute dopamine and epinephrine levels were related to better intermediate (dopamine) and long-term (epinephrine) retentions of the novel vocabulary. Thus, BDNF and two of the catecholamines seem to be mediators by which physical exercise improves learning.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Exercise affects the gene expression profiles of human white blood cells.

White blood cells (WBCs) express tens of thousands of genes, whose expression levels are modified by genetic and external factors. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of acute exercise on gene expression profiles (GEPs) of WBCs and to identify suitable genes that may serve as surrogate markers for monitoring exercise and training load. Five male participants performed an exhaustive treadmill test (ET) at 80% of their maximal O(2) uptake (Vo(2 max)) and a moderate treadmill test (MT) at 60% Vo(2 max) for exactly the same time approximately 2 wk later. WBCs were isolated by the erythrocyte lysis method. GEPs were measured using the Affymetrix GeneChip technology. After scaling, normalization, and filtering, groupwise comparisons of gene expression intensities were performed, and several measurements were validated by real-time PCR. We found 450 genes upregulated and 150 downregulated (>1.5-fold change; ANOVA with Benjamini-Hochberg correction, P < 0.05) after ET that were closely associated with the gene ontology lists "response to stress" and "inflammatory response". Analysis of mean expression levels after MT showed that the extent of up- and downregulation was workload dependent. The genes for the stress (heat shock) proteins HSPA1A and HSPH1 and for the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-9 showed the most prominent increases, whereas the YES1 oncogene (YES1) and CD160 (BY55) were most strongly reduced. Despite different methodological approaches used, the consistency of our results with the expression data of another study (Connolly PH, Caiozzo VJ, Zaldivar F, Nemet D, Larson J, Hung SP, Heck JD, Hatfield GW, Cooper DM. J Appl Physiol 97: 1461-1469, 2004) suggests that expression fingerprints are useful tools for monitoring exercise and training loads and thereby help to avoid training-associated health risks.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Exercise-induced apoptosis of lymphocytes depends on training status.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of training status on lymphocyte apoptosis as well as the expression of cell death receptors and ligands after a marathon run, and to compare these data with the alterations after treadmill exercise tests. METHODS: Sixteen volunteers successfully finished the 2002 Münster marathon. Venous blood samples were drawn before and 0, 3, and 24 h after the race. After cell isolation, cell-based apoptosis markers annexin V, Fas receptor, and Fas ligand were measured by flow cytometry. The same parameters were investigated in a group of 10 subjects before, and 0 and 1 h after both an exhaustive (ExT) and a low-intensity (LoT) treadmill test. RESULTS: The percentage of apoptotic cells after the marathon changed in a biphasic manner. An early increase 3 h after the run was followed by a significant decrease 1 d later. Interestingly, the increase in apoptotic cells was not observed in highly trained athletes, whereas it was significantly more pronounced in badly trained athletes. ExT induced a lymphocyte apoptosis similar to the marathon, whereas no change in apoptosis was observed after the LoT. Both Fas receptor and ligand were increased after the marathon with different kinetics. Whereas the Fas receptor peaked at 1 h, Fas ligand was increased 3 h after the run. After the treadmill tests Fas receptor expression was enhanced in both groups, whereas Fas ligand increased only after the ExT. CONCLUSIONS: Endurance exercise like a marathon is able to induce apoptosis in lymphocytes. Thereby, apoptosis sensitivity seems to be related to training status in an inverse relationship. The increased expression levels of death receptors and ligands might indicate the high apoptosis inducing potential of this type of exercise.

Adult↗