Effects of Resistance and Endurance Training on HIF-1α and VEGF in Heart Tissues of Pregnant Rats with Cadmium Toxicity

Exposure to cadmium can cause cardiovascular disorders, including possible risks of angiogenesis abnormalities associated with Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF), in pregnancy period. This study aimed to investigate the effects of resistance and endurance training on HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in heart tissue of pregnant rats with cadmium toxicity. In this study, 48 female rats were selected and divided into 6 groups of 8 rats, including (1) cadmium, (2) resistance training, (3) resistance training with cadmium consumption, (4) endurance training, (5) endurance training with cadmium consumption, and (6) control. Groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 performed three weeks of resistance and endurance training, five sessions per week. Also, groups 1, 3, and 5 received cadmium as cadmium chloride dissolved in water as 400 mg per liter through drinking water. To analyze the data, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, One-way ANOVA, and Tukey’s post hoc tests were used and P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Cadmium had a significant effect on the increase of HIF1-α and VEGF (P = 0.001); resistance training had a significant effect on the increase of HIF1-α (P = 0.03), resistance training (P = 0.02) and endurance training (P = 0.001) had a significant effect on the increase of VEGF. Also, resistance training with cadmium consumption as well as endurance training with cadmium consumption significantly decreased HIF1-α (P = 0.001) and VEGF (P = 0.001), compared with cadmium consumption. Cadmium appears to lead to an abnormal increase in HIF-1α and VEGF in the heart tissues of pregnant rats, which can stimulate abnormal angiogenesis of tumors; however, resistance and endurance training can reduce the severity of cadmium effects on abnormal angiogenesis of the heart tissue of pregnant rats.