Several studies have demonstrated that regular physical activity improves diabetes conditions, favoring the peripheral glucose uptake, glycogen and protein metabolism. However, the effects of high intensity physical training on the immune system of diabetic organisms are not totally clear. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of high intensity physical training on the total and differential leukocyte count of diabetic rats. Male young Wistar rats were distributed into four groups: sedentary control (SC), trained control (TC), sedentary diabetic (SD) and trained diabetic (TD). Diabetes was induced by alloxan (30 mg/kg body weight i.v.). During six weeks the animals of TC and TD groups followed a high intensity physical training protocol which consisted of four sets of 10 jumps/day (interrupted by one minute of rest interval) in a swimming pool, with the water level corresponding to 150% of the body length and overload equivalent to 50% of the body weight. At the end of the experimental period, blood samples were collected for total and differential leukocyte count. The results were analyzed by ANOVA at a significance level of 5%. Serum glucose was increased in diabetic groups while the insulin level was reduced in these groups. There were no significant differences in lymphocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils, and in total leukocyte count when the groups were compared. Monocytes count was higher in both trained groups (SC = 10.0 ± 4.5, TC* = 25.4 ± 7.9, SD = 19.75 ± 7.4, TD* = 25.8 ± 4.4%). The relative weight of the thymus was reduced by diabetes and training (SC = 125.0 ± 37.7, TC* =74.6 ± 8.2, SD* = 47.5 ± 12.2, TD* = 40.1 ± 16.9). In conclusion, the high intensity physical training protocol did not change the general diabetes conditions, but improved relative monocytes. These results can represent a positive effect on the immune response.
Overtraining; Immune system; Diabetes mellitus; High intensity physical training
