03/30/2022
By Ava Sargent

The Kennedy College of Sciences, Department of Biology, invites you to attend a Master's thesis defense by Ava Sargent on "Impact of the innate immune system on exercise-induced muscle damage, and the effects of nutraceuticals on inflammation and muscle recovery."

Candidate Name: Ava Sargent
Defense Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Time: 10 a.m. to noon
Location: Via Zoom Passcode: 678396
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Impact of the innate immune system on exercise-induced muscle damage, and the effects of nutraceuticals on inflammation and muscle recovery

Advisor: Peter Gaines, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Committee Members:

  • Michael Graves, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Kevin O'Fallon, Biomechanics and Engineering Team, US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Soldier Center, Natick

Abstract: During intense training and combat missions, the members of our military experience different types of muscle injuries, such as exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and lacerations, which may diminish their performance and combat readiness, and may even put them at risk for re-injury if not treated properly. Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been used to treat the inflammation-induced muscle pain associated with these injuries, although long term usage of NSAIDs has been shown to cause side effects such as damage to vital organs, therefore it is important to find alternative treatment methods to improve the recovery of muscle damage in Warfighters. Nutraceuticals such as tart cherry extract (TCE) and Perceptiv® have antioxidant properties that may aid in suppressing the oxidative secondary damage caused by the cells of the innate immune system (primarily neutrophils and macrophages) to the already injured muscle, promoting faster muscle recovery. The optimization of both murine and human-derived in vitro co-culture models that recapitulate the in vivo interactions between the damaged muscle and the cells of the innate immune system were required to test these nutraceutical interventions on different types of muscle damage. The quantification of the total reactive oxygen species (ROS) released from stimulated neutrophils and macrophages was optimized under co-culture conditions, which was then used to show how nutraceutical interventions could reduce inflammation-induced muscle damage via ROS suppression. The effects of antioxidants on molecular makers of muscle damage (such as extracellular LDH) and on the rate and extent of wound healing were also tested to determine the protective effects of these nutraceutical interventions on muscle damage and the processes of wound repair in co-culture. Both TCE and Perceptiv® were able to sequester ROS produced from neutrophils and macrophages, indicating that the antioxidants in these nutraceuticals may suppress inflammation caused by the cells of the innate immune system in EIMD. Although no changes in the rate and extent of muscle regeneration have been shown so far with TCE supplementation, it was able to reduce extracellular LDH levels in lacerated, strained, and non-damaged muscle, indicating that TCE may provide protection against muscle damage and improve overall muscle health at the molecular level only. Future studies may show that TCE prevents neutrophils from causing secondary damage to muscle in the co-culture models of both EIMD and muscle laceration, although additional testing of Perceptiv® doses on muscle are required before testing in co-culture. Overall, these results support that nutraceuticals with antioxidative properties can be used as an alternative to NSAIDs to reduce muscle inflammation and soreness associated with EIMD.