Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of incremental graded exercise on immune function of spleen and thymus in rats. The animals were divided into 6 groups, with 32 animals in per group: no exercise (W0), exercise for 1 week (W1), exercise for 2 weeks (W2), exercise for 3 weeks (W3), exercise for 4 weeks (W4) and exercise for 5 weeks (W5). Each group was further divided into 4 groups, with 8 animals in per group: sedentary (S), no recovery after exercise (AE0), recovery for 3 h after exercise (AE3), and recovery for 24 h after exercise (AE24). Incremental graded exercise test was performed on a rodent treadmill (gradient of 0°), which lasted for 5 weeks. The rats were motivated to exercise for 30 min a day for 6 days a week and weekend breaks. Speed in the treadmill gradually increased to 5 (W0), 20 (W1), 25 (W2), 30 (W3), 35 (W4) and 40 m/min (W5). At the end of exercise, the rats were killed, and thymus and spleen tissue were collected and weighed. The results showed that incremental exercise affected the immune function of spleen and thymus. With the incremental implementation and extension of exercise time, the effect of exercise on spleen index and thymus index became increasingly greater.

Key words: Incremental graded exercise, immune function, spleen index, thymus index rats.