Effect of Nigella sativa on immune response in treadmill exercised rat

Abstract

Background: In the present study the effect of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) ethanolic extract on cytokine profile in control, moderate and overtrained heavy exercised rat was examined.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control sedentary (C), moderate trained (MT), (V = 20 m/min, 30 min/day, 6 days a week, for 8 weeks), overtrained (OT) (V = 25 m/min, 60 min/day, 6 days a week, for 11 weeks), control sedentary + N. sativa (NC), moderate trained + N. sativa (NM) and overtrained + N. sativa (NO). Immediately and 24 h after the last bout of exercise blood samples were obtained. The serum concentrations of TNFα, IL-6, IL-10, IL-4 and IFNγ were measured by ELISA method.

Results: Immediately after exercise the following findings were observed; IL-6, IL-10 and TNFα concentration increased in OT and NC groups but Just IL-6 in MT groups compared with control (P< 0.05-P< 0.001). Serum level of IL-4 decreased in MT and NC (P< 0.05-P< 0.001) but IFNγ increased (P< 0.05) just in MT group vs control. In addition, circulatory levels of TNFα, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-4 were higher in OT and NM groups but the IFNγ concentration was lower in the OT group than the MT group (P< 0.05-P< 0.01). The IFN-γ/IL4 ratio was significantly increased in MT and NC (P< 0.05-P< 0.01) while it decreased in OT group. There were not statistical differences in TNFα, IL-6, and IFNγ levels between different time intervals after exercise in all groups.

Conclusions: Chronic administration of N. sativa may change pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines profiles. Also it may act as a balancing factor on Th1/Th2 lymphocytes in different exercise loads and act as an inhibitory factor on Th2 phenotype in control animals.

Figure 1

The serum concentrations of IL-6 in non treated groups including; control sedentary rats (C), moderate trained (MT), overtrained (OT), and treated groups with N. sativa : control sedentary + N. sativa (NC), moderate trained + N. sativa (NM), overtrained + N. sativa (NO), (for each group, n = 6). ***; P< 0.001, compared to control group. ^#; P< 0.05, ^###; P< 0.001, comparison between overtrained and moderate exercise.⁺; P< 0.05, ⁺⁺; P< 0.01, comparison between treated and non treated groups.

Figure 2

The serum concentrations of TNFα in non treated groups including; control sedentary rats (C), moderate trained (MT), overtrained (OT), and treated groups with N. sativa : control sedentary + N. sativa (NC), moderate trained + N. sativa (NM), overtrained + N. sativa (NO), (for each group, n = 6). ***; P< 0.001, compared to control group. ^##; P< 0.01, ^###; P< 0.001, comparison between overtrained and moderate exercise.⁺; P< 0.05, ⁺⁺; P< 0.01, comparison between treated and non treated groups.

Figure 3

The serum concentrations of IL-10 in non treated groups including; control sedentary rats (C), moderate trained (MT), overtrained (OT), and treated groups with N. sativa : control sedentary + N. sativa (NC), moderate trained + N. sativa (NM), overtrained + N. sativa (NO), (for each group, n = 6). *; P< 0.05, compared to control group. ^#; P< 0.05, comparison between overtrained and moderate exercise.⁺; P< 0.05, ⁺⁺; P< 0.01, ⁺⁺⁺; P< 0.001, comparison between treated and non treated groups. ^&&; P< 0.01, comparison between immediately and 24 h after last bout of exercise.

Figure 4

The serum concentrations of IL-4 in non treated groups including; control sedentary rats (C), moderate trained (MT), overtrained (OT), and treated groups with N. sativa : control sedentary + N. sativa (NC), moderate trained + N. sativa (NM), overtrained + N. sativa (NO), (for each group, n = 6). **; P< 0.01, compared to control group. ^##; P< 0.01, comparison between overtrained and moderate exercise.⁺; P< 0.05, ⁺⁺; P< 0.01, comparison between treated and non treated groups. ^&; P< 0.05, comparison between immediately and 24 h after last bout of exercise.

Figure 5

The serum concentrations of IFNγ in non treated groups including; control sedentary rats (C), moderate trained (MT), overtrained (OT), and treated groups with N. sativa : control sedentary + N. sativa (NC), moderate trained + N. sativa (NM), overtrained + N. sativa (NO), (for each group, n = 6). *; P< 0.05, compared to control group. ^##; P< 0.01, comparison between overtrained and moderate exercise.

Figure 6

The ratio of serum INF-γ/IL-4 (Th1/Th2 balance) in non treated groups including; control sedentary rats (C), moderate trained (MT), overtrained (OT), and treated groups with N. sativa : control sedentary + N. sativa (NC), moderate trained + N. sativa (NM), overtrained + N. sativa (NO), (for each group, n = 6). **; P< 0.01, compared to control group. ^#; P< 0.05, ^###; P< 0.001, comparison between overtrained and moderate exercise.⁺; P< 0.05, comparison between treated and non treated groups. ^&; P< 0.05, comparison between immediately or 24 h after last bout of exercise.

Figure 7

The ratio of serum IL-6//IL-10 in non treated groups including; control sedentary rats (C), moderate trained (MT), overtrained (OT), and treated groups with N. sativa : control sedentary + N. sativa (NC), moderate trained + N. sativa (NM), overtrained + N. sativa (NO), (for each group, n = 6). **; P< 0.01, ***; P< 0.001 compared to control group. ^##; P< 0.01, ^###; P< 0.001, comparison between overtrained and moderate exercise.⁺⁺; P< 0.01, comparison between treated and non treated groups.

Figure 8

The ratio of serum TNFα/IL-10 in non treated groups including; control sedentary rats (C), moderate trained (MT), overtrained (OT), and treated groups with N. sativa : control sedentary + N. sativa (NC), moderate trained + N. sativa (NM), overtrained + N. sativa (NO), (for each group, n = 6). ***; P< 0.001, compared to control group. ^#; P< 0.05, ^###; P< 0.001, comparison between overtrained and moderate exercise.⁺; P< 0.05, ⁺⁺⁺; P< 0.001, comparison between treated and non treated groups.