Elevation of body temperature is an essential factor for exercise-increased extracellular heat shock protein 72 level in rat plasma

1 Institute of Health and Sports Science & Medicine, Juntendo University, Inba, Chiba, Japan; 2 Department of Exercise Physiology, School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Inba, Chiba, Japan; 3 School of Sports Sciences and Technology, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey; 4 Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Japan; and 5 Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, Center for Exercise Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida Submitted 10 August 2007 ; accepted in final form 21 March 2008 This study examined whether the exercise-increased extracellular heat shock protein 72 (eHsp72) levels in rats was associated with body temperature elevation during exercise. In all, 26 female Sprague-Dawley rats (3 mo old) were assigned randomly to control (CON; n = 8), exercise under warm temperature (WEx; n = 9), or exercise under cold temperature (CEx; n = 9). The WEx and CEx were trained at 25°C or 4°C, respectively, for nine days using a treadmill. Before and immediately after the final exercise bout, the colonic temperatures were measured as an index of body temperature. The animals were subsequently anesthetized, and blood samples were collected and centrifuged. Plasma samples were obtained to assess their eHsp72 levels. Only the colonic temperature in WEx was increased significantly ( P < 0.05) by exercise. The eHsp72 level in WEx was significantly higher ( P < 0.05) than that of either the CON or CEx. However, no significant difference was found between CON and CEx. Regression analyses revealed that the eHsp72 level increased as a function of the body temperature. In another experiment, the eHsp72 level of animals with body temperature that was passively elevated through similar kinetics to those of the exercise was studied. Results of this experiment showed that mere body temperature elevation was insufficient to induce eHsp72 responses. Collectively, our results suggest that body temperature elevation during exercise is important for induction of exercise-increased eHsp72. In addition, the possible role of body temperature elevation is displayed when the exercise stressor is combined with it. running exercise; warm; cold; ELISA; stress proteins Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: H. Naito, Dept. of Exercise Physiology, School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo Univ., Inba, Chiba 270-1695, Japan (e-mail: naitoh{at}sakura.j