Abstract

Objective: To assess the influence of a 12-week training program on plasmatic levels of allantoin, an in vivo marker for oxidative stress, in adolescents with Down syndrome. This finding would be of great interest since oxidative damage has been proposed as a pathogenic mechanism of several pathologies in this population.

Materials: To get this goal, thirty-one male adolescents with Down syndrome (16.3±1.1 years; 155.2±5.7 cm; 70.8±4.5 kg) performed a 12-week training program, 3 sessions per week, consisting of warm up (15 min) followed by a main part (20-35 min [increasing 5 minutes each three weeks]) at a work intensity of 60-75% of peak heart rate (increasing a 5% each three weeks) and by a cool-down period (10 min). According to previous studies, it should be emphasized maximal heart rate for individuals with Down syndrome was predicted by the equation HRmax=194.5–[0.56 age]. Control group included 7 age, sex and BMI-matched adolescents with trisomy 21 that did not perform any training program. The levels uric acid and allantoin were assayed in plasma by HPLC. This protocol was approved by an Institutional Ethic Committee.

Results: When compared to baseline, plasmatic levels of allantoin were decreased significantly (22.09±1.62 vs 18.74±1.38 micromol/l; p<0.001) after being exercised. Further allantoin/uric acid ratio was decreased significantly (0.071±0.006 vs. 0.059±0.004; p<0.05). On the contrary, no changes were reported in controls.

Conclusion: A 12-week aerobic program reduced significantly oxidative damage expressed in terms of plasmatic allantoin content in adolescents with Down syndrome. Further studies on this topic are required.