Neuroendocrine, inflammatory, and extracellular vesicle responses during the Navy Special Warfare Screener Selection Course

Abstract

Military operational stress is known to increase adrenal hormones and inflammatory cytokines, while decreasing hormones associated with the anabolic milieu and neuroendocrine system. Less is known about the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a form of cell-to-cell communication, in military operational stress and their relationship to circulating hormones. The purpose of this study was to characterize the neuroendocrine, cytokine, and EV response to an intense. 24-h selection course known as the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Screener and identify associations between EVs and cytokines. Blood samples were collected the morning of and following the NSW Screener in 29 men (18-26 yr). Samples were analyzed for concentrations of cortisol, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), neuropeptide-Y (NPY), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), α-klotho, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), and interleukins (IL) -1β, -6, and -10. EVs stained with markers associated with exosomes (CD63), microvesicles (VAMP3), and apoptotic bodies (THSD1) were characterized using imaging flow cytometry and vesicle flow cytometry. The selection event induced significant changes in circulating BDNF (−43.2%), IGF-I (−24.6%), TNFα (+17.7%), and IL-6 (+13.6%) accompanied by increases in intensities of THSD1+ and VAMP3+ EVs (all P + EVs ( P < 0.05). Military operational stress altered the EV profile. Surface markers associated with apoptotic bodies were positively correlated with an inflammatory response. Future studies should consider a multiomics assessment of EV cargo to discern canonical pathways that may be mediated by EVs during military stress.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Aug 01, 2022
Source ID
10.1152/physiolgenomics.00184.2021

Entities

People

  • Adam Susmarski
  • Amrita Sahu
  • Andrew K Ledford
  • Bradley C. Nindl
  • Brian Martin
  • Fabrisia Ambrosio
  • Martin Wright
  • Meaghan E. Beckner
  • Qi Mi
  • Shawn D Flanagan
  • William R. Conkright

Organizations

  • United States Department of Defense
  • United States Naval Academy
  • University of Pittsburgh

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Neuroscience
  • Oncology and Biomarker-Based Cancer Detection.