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Senchina, David S .; Hallam, Justus E.; Shah, Nisarg B.; Sanderson, Cole R.; Kohut, Marian L. Elite college wrestlers' immune response to In Vitro Echinacea stimulation changes over the course of intense preseason training. Med Sci Sports Exerc : 39(5) Supplement May 2007 pS462 (email: david.senchina@drake.edu )
Intense exercise is associated with alterations of immune function both in vitro and in vivo. College and professional athletes are increasingly turning to herbal medicines such as Echinacea spp. to offset effects due to intense exercise such as occurs during preseason training. PURPOSE : To better understand how immune response to Echinacea extracts changes over the course of preseason training in elite athletes. METHODS : Blood was sampled from eight college wrestlers at three time points: before preseason training (Pre), after 1 day of preseason training (Day 1), and after 15 days of preseason training (Day 15). Immediately prior to both the Day 1 and Day 15 samples, subjects participated in an intense 2 h+ bout of combined aerobic/anaerobic training, whereas the Pre sample was taken at rest. At each time point, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated and cultured in vitro with ethanol tinctures from two species of Echinacea, E. pallida (PAL) or E. simulata (SIM), or vehicle control (CON). In vitro PBMC production of TNF and IL-1ß was assayed using ELISA after 24 and 48 h culture, respectively. In vitro PBMC proliferation after 72 h culture was measured using a formazine salt assay. RESULTS : TNF production was suppressed at Days 1 and 15 compared to Pre condition, and SIM treatment increased TNF compared to CON or PAL treatment (significant time, treatment, time × treatment effects, all p=0.001). IL-1ß was not altered by exercise condition, but SIM treatment elicited greater IL-1ß production than CON or PAL treatment (p<0.001). PBMC proliferation was lower at Pre condition compared to Days 1 and 15, and SIM treatment elicited greater proliferation compared to CON or PAL treatment (significant time, treatment, time × treatment effects, all p=0.049). CONCLUSIONS : PBMC cytokine production and proliferative response to Echinacea stimulation change over the course of intense preseason training and are contingent on both the training itself and species of Echinacea chosen.
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