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Intense exercise leads to post-exercise lymphocytopenia and immunosuppression, possibly by triggering lymphocyte apoptosis. To test the role of oxidative stress on exercise-induced lymphocyte apoptosis, we administered the antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) and measured apoptosis in intestinal lymphocytes (IL) from exhaustively exercised animals. Eighty-seven female C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to receive NAC (1g/kg) or saline 30min prior to treadmill exercise for 90min at 2° slope (30min at 22mmin⁻¹, 30min at 25mmin⁻¹, and 30min at 28mmin⁻¹) and sacrificed immediately (Imm) or 24hours (24h) after cessation of exercise. Control mice (nonexercised) were exposed to treadmill noise and vibration without running. Exercise increased IL phosphatidylserine externalization (p<0.001), mitochondrial membrane depolarization (p<0.05), and decreased intracellular glutathione concentrations (p<0 …