Cyclosporine (CsA) is an effective immunosuppressive agent and exerts its actions by interfering with the activation of T cells. There is growing evidence that regular exercise improves immune function. However, the effects of exercise on the immune functions in patients who are taking CsA are still unclear. Here, we aim to investigate the interactive effects of CsA administration and regular exercise on the immune functions in mice. BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to one of the six groups with eight mice in each group: 0-Ex (no CsA, no exercise), 0+Ex (no CsA, exercise), 10-Ex (10 mg/kg/d CsA, no exercise), 10+Ex (10 mg/kg/d CsA, exercise), 20-Ex (20 mg/kg/d CsA, no exercise), 20+Ex (20 mg/kg/d CsA, exercise). The three exercise groups were trained three times a week at approximately 75% VO2max for eight weeks. Nitric oxide (NO) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production abilities by mitogen-activated macrophages and spleen cells, respectively, were higher in 10+Ex and 20+Ex groups comparing to the non-exercise groups receiving the same dosages of CsA. The results of this study indicate that regular exercise may enhance Type I helper T cell functions in mice receiving higher doses of CsA.
