Physiological Reaction of Erythrocytes’ Microrheological Properties on Hypodynamia in Persons of the Second Mature Age

Introduction: Lasting absence of regular physical activity can negatively influence many physiological and morphological indices of a human body. Physiology is deeply interested in peculiarities of erythrocytes’ rheological characteristics in conditions of hypodynamia as they mostly determine the processes of microcirculation and metabolism in tissues. Detection of their peculiarities in persons with low physical activity can help to study the mechanisms of development and progression of numerous dysfunctions in able-bodied persons who neglect physical activity.

Aim: The Aim is to estimate erythrocytes’ microrheological properties in persons of the second mature age who avoid regular physical activity within lifetime.

Materials and Methods of Investigation: There were taken 45 healthy persons of both sexes of the second mature age (23 men and 22 women, mean age 44.9±2.2 years) into the study. They consciously avoided regular physical activity within lifetime. The 1st control group was composed of 42 persons of both sexes of the same age who attended the section of athletics thrice a week for not less than 10 years. Each training lasted not less than 1.5 hours. The 2nd control group was composed of 46 persons who daily walked not less than 6 km during the last 10 years. We applied biochemical, hematological and statistical methods of investigation.

Results: The examined persons with low physical activity were noted to have strengthening of lipids’ peroxidation. The quantity of acylhydroperoxides in their plasma surpassed the values in the 1st control group by 40.6%, the values in the 2nd control group – by 38.1%. It took place against the background of weakening of plasma antioxidant activity in them by 18.5% in comparison with the 1st control group, in comparison with the second control group – by 16.9%. Blood of the examined persons with hypodynamia was noted to have some increase of thromboxane B2 level by 28.5% in comparison with the 1st control group, in comparison with the 2nd control group – by 26.3%. At the same time, the level of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α in their blood was lowered by 14.4% in comparison with the 1st control group, in comparison with the 2nd control group – by 13.6%. In persons who avoided physical activity it was accompanied by content lowering of summary quantity of nitric oxide metabolites in plasma (by 19.2% in comparison with the 1st control group and by 14.7% in comparison with the 2nd control group). Erythrocytes’ membranes of persons with hypodynamia were noted to have the rise of cholesterol level by 13.8% in comparison with the 1st control group and by 12.6% in comparison with the 2nd control group. In their erythrocytes it was accompanied by acylhydroperoxides’ rise (by 29.6% in comparison with the 1st control group and by 28.3% in comparison with the 2nd control group). The examined persons with low physical activity were noted to have some lowering of erythrocytes-discocytes’ percentage in blood by 12.2% (in comparison with the 1st control group) and by 11.2% (in comparison with the 2nd control group). The quantity of reversibly and irreversibly modified erythrocytes’ forms in blood of persons from the group of observation was increased by more than 39.0% and in 2.3 times, respectively, in comparison with both control groups. At the same time, the examined persons who avoided regular physical activity, were found to have strengthening of erythrocytes’ aggregative properties. It was pointed by the index increase of erythrocytes’ summary involvement into aggregates by 29.2% and 26.8%, and quantity rise of these aggregates by 36.7% and 32.2%, in comparison with the levels in the 1st and 2nd control groups.

Conclusion: Persons of the second mature age who avoided regular physical activity within lifetime, are characterized by strengthening of lipids’ peroxidation processes in plasma and erythrocytes. It is accompanied by worsening of erythrocytes’ microrheological properties in them. Given changes can negatively influence the processes of microcirculation and worsen the internals’ trophism. That’s why, in the course of future search of the variants of physical activity increase for the second mature age persons it seems to be rather important to determine the variants of regular physical activity which can optimize erythrocytes’ microrheological properties rather quickly.