Moderate physical training attenuates perinatal low-protein-induced spleen lymphocyte apoptosis in endotoxemic adult offspring rats

Purpose To evaluate the effects of a moderate physical training (T) on the blood and splenic lymphocytes subsets and the rate of apoptosis in adult offspring submitted to perinatal low-protein (LP) diet. Methods Male Wistar rats were divided according to their mother’s diet: control (C, 17 % casein) and undernourished (LP, 8 % casein). At the 60th day, pups were submitted to moderate physical training (8 weeks, 5 days week −1 , 60 min day −1 , at 70 % of VO 2max ). After T period, pups received an injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). B, NK, and TCD3+ lymphocytes subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry. Spleen lymphocytes apoptosis was evaluated by DNA fragmentation, phosphatidylserine externalization (PSE), and mitochondrial transmembrane depolarization (MTD) using a flow cytometer. Plasma TNF-α concentrations were analyzed by ELISA. Results LP + LPS pups showed a higher percentage of blood B, CD4+, and NK and a reduction in TCD3+, CD8+ than C pups. The percentage of NK and CD3+ was restored in LP + T + LPS pups. In the spleen, T normalized the percentage of NK in LP + LPS pups. LP + LPS pups showed a higher percentage of cells with PSE and MTD than C + LPS pups that was attenuated by T. The concentration of TNF-α was higher in LP + LPS than C + LPS, but it was attenuated in LP + T + LPS pups. Conclusion Moderate physical training was able to revert the effects of perinatal LP diet on circulation lymphocytes subsets and attenuated splenic lymphocytes apoptosis and plasma TNF-α concentrations.