FIGURE 1.

Experimental scheme of the aquatic exercise (AE) in a mouse model of allergic airway inflammation. (A) Mice were sensitized by an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a mixture containing 100 μg of ovalbumin (OVA) and 2 mg of aluminum hydroxide (alum) in 0.2 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) on days 0, 7, and 14. Mice then received intranasal (i.n.) challenge with 50 μg of OVA in 50 μL of PBS, three times per week for 4 weeks. The control mice were challenged with PBS at the time of the OVA challenge. Twenty-four hours after the final challenge, lung function measurements were performed. All mice were sacrificed 48 h after the final challenge. (B) The different types of AE (walking and swimming) were performed in a water bath filled with water to a height of 2.5 and 13 cm for 30 min, respectively. The mice were made to swim for 4 s at a speed of 10 cm/s with 4-s intervals. The backs of the mice were tapped with a soft brush every 4 s to maintain the swimming intervals. This process was repeated five times a week for a total duration of 4 weeks.