Poloxamer 188 does not Alter Performance Improvements Associated with Equivalent Exercise Regimens in Mice

Authors

A. Krajek, Gettysburg CollegeFollow
N. Weisleder, The Ohio State University
M. Orange, Gettysburg CollegeFollow

Abstract

¹Krajek, A., ²Weisleder, N., ¹Orange, M. ¹Gettysburg College, Gettysburg PA, ²The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

Purpose: Poloxamers are synthetic amphipathic co-block polymers that may insert themselves into the plasma membrane and have been shown to protect multiple cell types from various injuries. Our goal is to investigate the possible utility of poloxamer 188 (P188) to improve performance outcomes associated with regular exercise. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of P188 treatment among groups of equivalent exercise loads. Methods: Thirty-one adult C57Bl6/J mice were randomly distributed amongst four groups: P188 treated and exercised (P188-E), saline injected and exercised (Sal-E), P188 treated and no exercise (P188-N), saline injected and no exercise (Sal-N). Mice received intraperitoneal injection of P188 solution (10 µL/g of 100 mg P188/mL in 0.9% saline; 1000 mg P188/kg dose) or vehicle (0.9% saline solution) three times weekly. At 30 minutes post-injection mice were run on a treadmill for 45 minutes at speeds increasing to a maximum of 16 m/min. After eight weeks of this training and treatment program, average treadmill exhaustion time was determined for each group. Results: Exercise groups displayed significantly higher exhaustion times relative to non-trained control groups: P188-E 25.24 min, P188-N 21.43min, Sal-E 26.60 min, Sal-N 22.38 min (main effect, p = 0.002, 2X2 analysis of variance). The difference between P188 treated and vehicle injected groups was not statistically significant (main effect, p = 0.333). Conclusion: These observations suggest that the cellular mechanism of P188 membrane protection has no impact on performance improvement when treated and non-treated groups are exposed to equivalent exercise regimens. Future experimentation will investigate the impact of P188 on recovery from acute bouts of intense exercise.

Research funded in part by a grant to Gettysburg College from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through the Precollege and Undergraduate Science Education Program

Recommended Citation

Krajek, A.; Weisleder, N.; and Orange, M. (2014) "Poloxamer 188 does not Alter Performance Improvements Associated with Equivalent Exercise Regimens in Mice," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 9: Iss. 2, Article 42.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol9/iss2/42