Effect of Exercise Intensity on Neurotrophic Factors and Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Induced by Oxidative-Nitrosative Stress in Male College Students

We investigated the effects of aerobic exercise intensity on oxidative-nitrosative stress, neurotrophic factor expression, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Fifteen healthy men performed treadmill running under low-intensity (LI), moderate-intensity (MI), and high-intensity (HI) conditions. Blood samples were collected immediately before exercise (IBE), immediately after exercise (IAE), and 60 min after exercise (60MAE) to examine oxidative-nitrosative stress (reactive oxygen species [ROS]; nitric oxide [NO]), neurotrophic factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF]; nerve growth factor [NGF]), and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability (S-100 beta; neuron-specific enolase). ROS concentration significantly increased IAE and following HI (4.9 +/- 1.7 mM) compared with that after LI (2.8 +/- 1.4 mM) exercise (p < .05). At 60MAE, ROS concentration was higher following HI (2.5 +/- 1.2 mM) than after LI (1.5 +/- 0.5 mM) and MI (1.4 +/- 0.3 mM) conditions (p < .05). Plasma NO IAE increased significantly after MI and HI exercise (p < .05). Serum BDNF, NGF, and S-100b levels were significantly higher IAE following MI and HI exercise (p < .05). BDNF and S-100 beta were higher IAE following MI (29.6 +/- 3.4 ng/mL and 87.1 +/- 22.8 ng/L, respectively) and HI (31.4 +/- 3.8 ng/mL and 100.6 +/- 21.2 ng/L, respectively) than following LI (26.5 +/- 3.0 ng/mL and 64.8 +/- 19.2 ng/L, respectively) exercise (p < .05). 60MAE, S-100 beta was higher following HI (71.1 +/- 14.5 ng/L) than LI (56.2 +/- 14.7 ng/L) exercise (p < .05). NSE levels were not significantly different among all intensity conditions and time points (p > .05). Moderate-and/or high-intensity exercise may induce higher oxidative-nitrosative stress than may low-intensity exercise, which can increase peripheral neurotrophic factor levels by increasing BBB permeability.