The Effect of 8 Weeks of Moderate Intensity Continuous Training on the Expression of Apoptotic Genes in Heart Tissue of Aged Rats

Aging process with progressive decrease of cardiac function is due to the death of cardiac myocyte characterized by apoptosis. On the other hand, physical activity not only improves heart function , but also reduces the risk of heart disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of continuous moderate exercise on BAX, P53, and caspase 3 gene expression in the heart tissue of aged male rats.

In this experimental study, 16 male Wistar rats with an average age of 19±2.25 months and weight of 350.02±20.12 grams were randomly divided into two groups of moderate intensity continuous training (MT) and control (C). The continuous aerobic exercise program (MICT) was performed for 8 weeks and five sessions per week with an intensity of 60-75% of the maximum speed. Then, 48 hours after the last exercise session, heart tissue was removed under general anesthesia. BAX, P53, and caspase 3 gene expression values were measured by real time PCR method. Independent t statistical method was used in SPSS 21 software for data analysis.

The results showed that performing eight weeks of moderate-intensity continuous training caused a significant decrease in the apoptotic indices of BAX (P=0.012), P53 (P=0.015), and caspase 3 (P=0.002) in the heart tissue of elderly rats compared to the control group.

It seems that regular aerobic exercises with moderate intensity can significantly reduce the apoptosis index of heart tissue and the aging process.