The effect of regular high-intensity interval exercise on some apoptotic factors in the brain tissue of old female rats

The aging process is associated with a progressive deterioration of tissues and organs. Apoptotic cell death has been known as a possible causal factor in age-related pathologies. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effect of regular high-intensity interval exercise on some apoptotic factors in the brain tissue of aged female rats.
In this experimental study, 14 aged female Wistar rats were selected and randomly divided into two equal groups (n=7) of control and exercise. The animals performed 10 bouts of 1-min high-intensity treadmill running (20–34 m·min–1), separated by 2 min of rest, for 3 days a week for 8 weeks. The rats were killed 48 h after the last treatment and their brain Bax and Bcl-2 levels were evaluated by the ELISA method.
The results showed that an 8-week, high-intensity interval exercise decreased brain Bax levels in aged rats (P It seems that a high-intensity exercise may mediate part of its protective effect against aging-induced apoptosis, by increasing brain Bcl-2 and suppressing Bax levels in brain.