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Heme oxygenase activity increases after exercise in healthy volunteers
Citation:
Ghio, Andy, M. Case, AND J. Soukup. Heme oxygenase activity increases after exercise in healthy volunteers. Free Radical Research. Taylor & Francis Group, London, Uk, 52(2):267-272, (2018).
Impact/Purpose:
Heme oxygenase (HO) is an enzyme which catabolizes heme to iron, carbon monoxide, and biliverdin. This study looks at the relationship between heme oxygenase acitivity and iron homeostasis in individuals who are exercising.
Description:
AbstractHeme oxygenase (HO) is an essential, rate-limiting protein which participates in the catabolism of heme to iron, carbon monoxide (CO), and biliverdin. The alpha methene bridge carbon of the heme is eliminated as CO which can be measured as blood carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). Using blood concentrations of COHb as a measure directly reflecting HO activity, we tested the postulate that the activity of HO changes with exercise. Ten healthy, nonsmoking volunteers (5 females and 5 males with a mean age of 25.7 ± 3.2 years), lifetime non-smokers with no history of respiratory diseases, and not taking any medication were included in the study. Subjects were exposed to filtered air for 2 hr while alternating exercise for 15 minutes on a cycle ergometer with rest for 15 minutes. Workload was adjusted so that subjects breathed at a ventilatory rate, normalized for body surface area, of 25 L/meter2/minute. Immediately before, immediately after, and the day following exercise, blood was drawn by standard venipuncture technique. COHb was determined using the interleukin ( IL) 682 Co-Oximeter (Instrumentation Laboratory, Bedford, MA). COHb increased in each participant during the exercise session with the mean value (± standard deviation) almost doubling (1.1 ± 1.6 to 2.1 ± 1.6%) and returned to baseline by the following day (1.3 ± 1.3%). We conclude that exercise increases HO activity.
