دکتر محمدعلی آذربایجانی

 Doxorubicin (DOX), in addition to its anti-cancer properties, causes toxicity and increases the apoptosis of healthy tissues. The objective of the current research was to explore the concurrent influence of an eight-week aerobic training regimen combined with crocin supplementation on the apoptosis induced by DOX within the soleus muscle tissue of male rodents.

 In this study, a cohort of 40 male Wistar rats, each weighing between 200 and 220 g and approximately 8 weeks old, were systematically distributed into five distinct experimental clusters, including a healthy control (normal saline) and a patient control (intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/kg of DOX ). The other clusters were DOX-exercise (intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/kg of DOX with eight weeks of treadmill/5 days a week), DOX-crocin (intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/kg) 2 kg of DOX along with 10 mg/kg of crocin extract/8 weeks), and DOX-exercise-crocin.

 The administration of DOX was associated with a notable elevation in Bax and a reduction in Bcl-2 expression (P=0.001 and P=0.001). In contrast, engaging in eight weeks of aerobic exercise, ingesting crocin, or a synergistic approach combining both interventions resulted in a marked upregulation of Bcl-2 expression (P=0.001). This combined treatment also led to a significant diminution in the Bax mRNA (P=0.006) and a decrease in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (P=0.001) within the soleus muscle tissue of male rodents subjected to DOX exposure.

 Aerobic exercise with crocin supplementation could inhibit apoptosis caused by DOX in the soleus muscle of male rats.

JAK/STAT is one of the key pathways in cell proliferation, growth, and differentiation. In most tissues, this path is known as the cause of inflammation and, in some cases, the induction and progression of diseases. In contrast, aerobic exercise regulates and modulates cell signaling by affecting signaling pathways and inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In this article, we investigate the effect of aerobic exercise on the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.Classified articles were searched from reliable international and Iranian scientific databases. Articles were extracted from scientific databases such as Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Also, articles were extracted from the scientific databases of Iran Magiran, SID, and Civilica. Out of 45 articles, 13 met this review article's criteria. Aerobic exercise affects the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in various tissues and organs. According to research results, aerobic exercise activates or inhibits this pathway differently depending on the tissue type. These effects of aerobic exercises were different in research tissues and models.Therefore, we emphasize the importance of further research on this signaling pathway and its response to exercise, especially aerobic exercise, to fully understand its effects and consequences. This research is necessary and significant in the field of exercise physiology and immunology.

we aimed to investigate the physiological impact of facemasks use during a graded treadmill exercise test in male adolescents and young adults.

Twenty-one males aged 15 to 28 volunteered. Participants completed four sessions with a 72-hour gap between each session. They completed four visits: 1 rest and 3 graded treadmill exercise test sessions no mask, surgical mask, and FFP2/N95 mask. Pre- and post-graded treadmill exercise test, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation were measured. Repeated measures analysis of variance determined statistical differences (p<0.05).

There were no differences in exercise performance (e.g., time to termination, estimated VO2max) nor heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure between conditions. FFP2/N95 mask resulted in lower blood oxygen saturation compared to no mask and surgical mask, and the surgical mask was lower than no mask at exhaustion.

Participants could safely complete the graded treadmill exercise test without detriment to exercise performance even though blood oxygen saturation decreased with facemask use.

Pomegranate, recognized as one of the most widely utilized herbal medicines, comprises three components: Pomegranate juice, seeds, and peel. Each part of the fruit contains a range of phytochemical compounds, macronutrients, and micronutrients. With a history dating back to 3000 BC, pomegranate has gained global recognition for its diverse therapeutic effects, attributed to the presence of various phytochemicals such as flavonoids (e.g., flavonols, anthocyanins, ellagitannins, and phenolic acids). These compounds contribute to the herb’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antibacterial, cardioprotective, and other health-promoting properties. The beneficial properties of pomegranate have captured the interest of sports physiologists, who recognize this herb as a promising substance to augment the health-promoting effects of exercise programs. A review of the SID and Google Scholar databases revealed that Iranian sports physiologists have published 25 articles investigating the combinational effects of exercise programs and pomegranate administration. The primary focus of these studies was on metabolic changes, followed by oxidative stress markers. The majority of their participants were obese women with type 2 diabetes. Collectively, these findings indicated that the combination of pomegranate consumption and physical exercises, particularly aerobic exercises, enhanced the beneficial impact of aerobic training on metabolic parameters and anti-oxidative markers. Based on these studies, it can be concluded that pomegranate extract can potentiate the health-enhancing effects of physical exercise. Therefore, it is recommended to consider utilizing pomegranate derivatives in conjunction with exercise programs to maximize their beneficial health effects.

Obesity is considered the most important public health problem. Previous studies have confirmed that a high-fat diet (HFD) can cause the development of systemic and tissue inflammation due to the increase in pro-inflammatory markers.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise and pistachio soft hull extract (PSHE) on inflammatory gene expression in the soleus muscle of rats fed a HFD.

In an experimental trial, 30 female Wistar rats weighing between 180 and 200 grams were selected as subjects and randomly divided into five groups: Normal diet control, HFD control, HFD aerobic exercise, HFD-PSHE, and HFD aerobic exercise-PSHE. The aerobic exercise program consisted of four weeks of five weekly sessions of running on a treadmill at an intensity of 50 – 60% VO 2max . Pistachio soft hull extract at a dose of 60 mg/kg was administered to the rats by gavage for four weeks, five times a week. Forty-eight hours after the last interventions, the rats were anesthetized, and the soleus muscle was removed to determine the expression of the IL-6 and IL-1β genes.

Induction of HFD significantly decreased IL-6 (P = 0.001) and increased IL-1β (P = 0.001) gene expression. IL-1β gene expression in the aerobic exercise (P = 0.001), PSHE (P = 0.003), and aerobic exercise-PSHE (P = 0.001) groups was significantly lower than in the HFD control group. Aerobic exercise (P = 0.002), PSHE (P = 0.002), and the combination of aerobic exercise and PSHE (P = 0.003) caused a significant increase in IL-6 gene expression compared to the HFD control group.

High-fat diet promotes inflammation in skeletal muscle by increasing the expression of the IL-1β and IL-6 genes. Aerobic exercise, PSHE, and the combination of aerobic exercise and PSHE can exert their anti-inflammatory effects by reducing the expression of the IL-1β and IL-6 genes in skeletal muscle tissue.

Hormone therapy is a highly effective method for treating menopausal disorders. However, its side effects may include an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and pulmonary embolism. Previous research has demonstrated that both exercise and nutrition separately have positive effects on menopausal symptoms. Therefore, we suggest that combining exercise and nutrition interventions may provide a synergistic effect, yielding results at least similar to those of estrogen (Est) therapy.

This study aims to compare the independent and combined effects of resistance training (RT), Est therapy, and vitamin D calcium chitosan (Vit D + Ca ++ + Chit) supplementation on markers of bone turnover in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Forty-two female Wistar rats were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 6 per group): (1) healthy-control (He-Co), (2) OVX-Vit D + Ca ++ + Chit + RT, (3) OVX-saline (Sal) + Est + RT, (4) Sal + RT, (5) OVX-Vit D + Ca ++ +Chit, (6) OVX-Sal + Est, and (7) OVX-Control (OVX-Co). Bone samples were extracted 48 hours after the final session. Two-way ANOVAs were used to determine differences in intervention effects between groups. The alpha level was set to 0.05.

Ovariectomy (OVX) decreased bone tissue expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osterix (OSX) while increasing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) gene expression. Ovariectomy also decreased the number of osteocytes and osteoblasts while increasing the number of osteoclasts. Resistance training (RT) and Vit D + Ca ++ + Chit intake increased bone tissue expression of ALP, OSX, and PPAR-γ gene expression. Additionally, RT and Vit D + Ca ++ + Chit supplementation increased the number of osteocytes and osteoblasts and decreased the number of osteoclasts.

The combined interventions had synergistic effects compared to each intervention separately on ALP, osteocyte, osteoblast, and osteoclast observations. Therefore, combining RT with Vit D + Ca ++ + Chit could be a non-pharmacological approach to address bone turnover alterations caused by OVX.

Alteration in cholesterol homeostasis is a consequence of overweight and obesity induced by diet, with the liver being one of the key organs in the cholesterol synthesis pathway. Since the effect of rice bran and aerobic exercise on the hepatic cholesterolsynthesis pathway is not well understood, this study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise and ethanolic extract of rice bran on the expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase and HMGCR genes in the liver tissue of rats fed with a high-fat diet.In a preclinical trial, 30 eight-week-old female rats were randomly divided into five groups (6 rats per group): control with normal diet, control with a high-fat diet, aerobic exercise with a high-fat diet, and aerobic exercise with rice bran and a high-fat diet. The aerobic exercise program included running on a treadmill at moderate intensity (50-60% Vo2max), 5 sessions per week for 4 weeks. The ethanolic extract of rice bran was administered at a dose of 60 mg/kg via gavage to the supplement and exercise-supplement groups.The expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the control group with a normal diet significantly increased compared to the control group with a high-fat diet (P = 0.000), while the expression of HMGCR significantly decreased (P = 0.050). Additionally, the expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the aerobic exercise group with a high-fat diet showed a significant increase compared to the control group with a high-fat diet (P ≤ 0.034), and the expression of HMGCR showed a significant decrease (P = 0.000). Furthermore, intergroup comparisons revealed that the increase in the expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the rice bran diet group was significant compared to the control group with a high-fat diet (P ≤ 0.001), while the expression of HMGCR significantly decreased (P ≤ 0.028). Similar changes were observed in the aerobic exercise-rice bran group compared to the control group with a high-fat diet, showing a significant increase in the expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (P ≤ 0.002), whilethe decrease in HMGCR expression was significant (P = 0.000).

This study investigates the impact of two high-intensity interval training (HIIT) programs on PGC-1α, p53, and citrate synthase (CS) proteins within cardiomyocytes of male type 2 diabetic rats, aiming to discern potential molecular mechanisms influencing cardiac health.

Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to control (NC), diabetic control (DC), diabetic with type 1 HIIT (HIIT-1), and diabetic with type 2 HIIT (HIIT-2) groups. Streptozotocin (STZ) induced type 2 diabetes, excluding the NC group. A four-week HIIT intervention, six sessions per week, preceded the analysis of heart tissue for PGC-1α, p53, and CS protein levels. Statistical analysis employed GraphPad Prism software version 8 and one-way ANOVA (P < 0.05).

Both HIIT-1 (p=0.004) and HIIT-2 (p=0.007) groups exhibited significantly elevated cardiac PGC-1α levels compared to DC. CS levels increased notably in HIIT-1 (p=0.001) and HIIT-2 (p<0.001), with HIIT-2 surpassing HIIT-1 significantly (p=0.010). Concurrently, p53 levels significantly decreased in both HIIT-1 (p=0.005) and HIIT-2 (p=0.001) groups compared to DC.

Exercise training (HIIT) positively influences cardiac metabolism, evident in PGC-1α and CS upregulation and p53 downregulation. While these findings provide valuable insights, further exploration is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. This study advances our understanding of optimizing exercise interventions for improved cardiac health in type 2 diabetes.

Hepatokines play an important role in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism, and hepatokines dysregulation can be associated with different pathological conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The present study conducted aimed to examined the effect of 12-week circuit resistance training with different intensities on the level of the insulin resistance related hepatokines, FGF-21, angiopoietin-like proteins 3 (ANGPTL3) and ANGPTL4 in obese postmenopausal women.

Forty-four postmenopausal women with average age of 56.07 ± 3.18 years participated in the present study, which randomly divided into four groups (11 subjects in each group) including control groups, low (LT), moderate (MT) and severe (HT) intensity circuit resistance training groups. The training program conducted for 12 weeks and three sessions per week. Blood samples collected before and after training interventions and the levels of desired variables were measured by ELISA method. The findings were analyzed with Graphpad Prism software and significance considered at the level of P < 0.05.

A significant decrease of FGF-21 levels was observed in the HT compared to control group (P = 0.015), but there were no significant changes in FGF-21 levels in the other groups (P < 0.05). ANGPTL3 levels decreased in LT, MT and HT groups compared to the control group (P < 0.001). In addition, decrease in the levels of ANGPTL3 in the HT group was significant compared to the LT (P < 0.001) and MT (P = 0.002) groups. The reduction of ANGPTL4 levels was significant in the three trained groups compared to the control group (P < 0.001), and also in the HT compared to the LT group (P = 0.025).

High intensity circuit resistance training compared to its low and moderate intensities can have a greater role in modulating insulin resistance by further reducing the levels of insulin resistance related hepatokines.

The effectiveness mechanism of aerobic training and omega-3 fatty acids supplement alone or combined together is remarkably unknown. In the present study, the effect of eight weeks aerobic training with omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on the levels of paraoxonase and myeloperoxidase in the sedentary overweight and obese women have been investigated.

Forty sedentary young women with age ranging 25-40 years were randomly divided into four equal groups (10 subjects in each group) including placebo (P), omega-3 fatty acids supplement (O), aerobic training (T), and aerobic training + omega-3 fatty acids supplement (TO) groups. The subjects in the T and TO groups participated in aerobic training for eight weeks, three session per week, and the TO and O groups consumed omega-3 fatty acids supplement in daily 2000 mg dose. Blood samples collected before and after eight weeks intervention and the level of paraoxonase, myeloperoxidase and some other related metabolites was determined.

Serum levels of paraoxonase in the O, T and TO groups significantly increased compared to the P group (P < 0.001). Myeloperoxidase indicated a significant decrease in T and TO groups compared to P and O groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, significant increase of Apo-A1 and significant decrease of Apo-B were observed in both trained (T and TO) groups (P < 0.05).

Despite increasing the paraoxonase levels following omega-3 fatty acids supplementation, the supplementation in combination with the aerobic training did not exert synergistic effect in the studied variables compared to the aerobic training alone.

 Testosterone enhances athletic performance in men and women, but its consumption has several side effects and is banned from most competitive sports. This study aimed to examine the effect of date palm pollen extracts (DPPE or Phoenix dactylifera L.), testosterone enanthate (T), and resistance training (RT) alone and in combination on hepatic damage and mitochondrial function of adult male rats.

 Thirty male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: Control (C), RT-treated, DPPE-treated, T-treated, DPPE+RT-treated, and T+RT-treated. The DPPE-treated animals received 100 mg/kg DPPE by gavage (five days/week for four weeks). T was injected subcutaneously into the target groups at a dose of 2 mg/kg daily (five days/week for four weeks). Moreover, the RT program was performed using a vertical ladder with weights (five days/week for four weeks).

 RT, T, and DPPE significantly reduced collagen degradation, apoptotic cells, dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) protein expression, and increased mitofusin-1 (Mfn-1) gene and protein expression in liver tissue. RT with T/DPPE showed a synergic effect regarding present study variables.

 It seems that DPP, which is a natural compound, has less damaging effects than T on liver tissue. It can be used as a safe alternative to T injection for the enhancement of athletic performance and T deficiency.

 Obesity causes skeletal muscle metabolic disorders by altering the expression of the genes involved in lipid metabolism. One of the genes that play an important role in lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle tissue is sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP).

 Since the interacting effect of aerobic exercise and high-fat diet on the expression of this gene has not been well studied, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of aerobic exercise on the expression of the SREBP-1c gene in skeletal muscle in obese female rats.

 Eighteen female Wistar rats in the weight range of 180 - 200 grams were selected and randomly divided into three groups: (1) control fed with a normal diet; (2) control fed with a high-fat diet; and (3) aerobic exercise plus a high-fat diet. The high-fat diet contained 40% fat (20% soybean oil and 20% animal fat), 13% protein, and 47% carbohydrates. The rats were initially fed with a high-fat diet for 6 weeks, and then they performed aerobic exercise on a treadmill 5 times a week for 6 weeks. Forty-eight hours after the last training session and after eleven hours of fasting, the rats were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine. Quadriceps tissues were removed to determine the SREBP-1c gene’s expression by real-time PCR.

 Feeding with a high-fat diet significantly increased the weight of rats (P = 0.001). The expression of the SREBP-1c gene in the group fed with the high-fat diet decreased significantly compared to the group fed with the normal diet (P = 0.001). Aerobic exercise significantly increased the expression of the SREBP-1c gene in the quadriceps muscle (P = 0.001), contradicting the effect of the high-fat diet on the expression of this gene.

 Aerobic training may alleviate lipid metabolism disorders in muscles by increasing the expression of the SREBP-1c gene. Therefore, aerobic exercises can be used to contradict the metabolic complications caused by the high-fat diet in skeletal muscles.

Context: 

Resistance training (RT) and vitamin D are both utilized as interventions for muscle hypertrophy. Multiple studies have examined the impact of RT with and without vitamin D supplementation on muscle hypertrophy. There is currently no existing review study that has specifically investigated the combined effect of RT and vitamin D supplementation on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. This review article compiled studies examining the impact of both RT and vitamin D interventions on muscle hypertrophy.

Evidence Acquisition: 

Three databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar) were searched until September 9, 2022. Only original articles written in English were included. The findings of the studies were analyzed and categorized into two sections: cross-sectional areas and muscle performance.

 Very limited studies examined the effect of RT and vitamin D on hypertrophy and skeletal muscle function. The impact of RT and vitamin D on signaling pathways of protein synthesis and skeletal muscle hypertrophy was investigated separately, and the simultaneous effect of these two interventions was explored in a few studies.

 The proteins involved in the signaling pathway of muscle hypertrophy were examined in only three animal studies. Therefore, more field/clinical trials in the human model should investigate the effect of these two interventions on the degree of hypertrophy and muscle function. Besides, both in human studies using muscle biopsy and in animal studies at the cellular level, the expression of genes and proteins involved in signaling pathways affecting protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy should be studied further to determine the simultaneous effect of these two interventions.

the use of heated oils has become an integral part of today's nutrition. Studies show that with the development of obesity, capillarization in adipose tissue does not occur in line with changes in cell size. Therefore, adipose tissue in obese people is always associated with lack of oxygen and it causes systemic inflammation by releasing inflammatory mediators. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise and octopamine on HIF-1 protein concentration in visceral fat and white cells in rats fed with deeply-heated oil.

In an experimental trial, 30 male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: healthy control, control-heated oil, aerobic exercise-heated oil, octopamine-heated oil and exercise, and octopamine-heated oil. Octopamine was given to rats by IP intraperitoneal injection daily for four weeks and five days a week. Aerobic exercise was also performed for four weeks and five days a week with moderate intensity on the treadmill. Forty-eight hours after the last intervention, the rats were anesthetized and visceral adipose tissue was removed from the body to measure HIF-1a gene expression. As a result of receiving deeply-heated oil, the expression of HIF-1 gene and protein in visceral fat increased significantly (P=0.001), but the number of white cells in visceral adipose tissue increased significantly (P=0.001). Aerobic exercise significantly decreased HIF-1 gene and protein expression (P=0.01). In addition, octopamine supplementation had no significant effect on HIF-1 gene expression of visceral fat of white cells in rats poisoned with deeply-heated oil. Receiving octopamine also decreased HIF-1 gene and protein expression (P=0.002). In addition, exercise significantly reduced the number of white cells (P=0.001). Octopamine could significantly reduce the expression of HIF-1 protein and the number of white cells. The interaction of exercise and octopamine was significant for the expression of HIF-1 protein and the number of white cells.

The results of this study showed that aerobic exercise and octopamine improve the angiogenesis process of the visceral adipose tissue that had been disrupted by heated oils, and reduce the damage caused by feeding with deeply-heated oils.