Attenuated Renal and Hepatic Cells Apoptosis Following Swimming Exercise Supplemented with Garlic Extract in Old Rats

Parvin Farzanegi; Hajar Abbaszadeh; Farzaneh Farokhi; Saleh Rahmati-Ahmadabad; Seyed Ali Hosseini; Abdi Ahmad; Mohammad Reza Mazandarani; Iraj Rezaei; Mohammad Shokrie; Exir Vizvari; Hadi Alinejad; Mohammad Ali Azarbayjani

doi:10.2147/CIA.S250321

Attenuated Renal and Hepatic Cells Apoptosis Following Swimming Exercise Supplemented with Garlic Extract in Old Rats

Clin Interv Aging. 2020 Aug 18:15:1409-1418. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S250321. eCollection 2020.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Exercise Physiology, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
² Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
³ Department of Physical Education, Pardis Branch, Islamic Azad University, Pardis, Iran.
⁴ Department of Sport Physiology, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran.
⁵ Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Physical Education, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran.
⁶ Department of Physical Education, Farhangian University, Gorgan, Iran.
⁷ Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Humanities, Shams Institute of Higher Education, Gonbad Kavous, Iran.
⁸ Department of Exercise Physiology, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Background/objective: One of the problems associated with aging is the development of apoptosis in different tissues. There is evidence that physical activity and herbal remedies can be useful. This study aimed to determine the effect of swimming training (SW) alone or combined with garlic extract on renal and hepatic cells apoptosis, as wellas on the liver and kidney function biomarkers in old rats.

Methods: A total of 35 old rats (aged 40-50 weeks) were randomly divided into 5 groups including control, saline (S), exercise training (ET), garlic (G) and exercise training+ garlic (ET.G) groups. Exercise was started for 5 min/day and then gradually extended to 60 min/day and the G and E+G groups received 1 mL/kg of this mixture by gavage. Twenty-four hours after completion of 8 weeks training, liver, kidney and blood samples were collected for histopathological examinations, liver and kidney functions, oxidative stress and apoptosis biomarkers.

Results: The tissue sections of the SW exercise, control and saline groups showed some mild histopathological changes in liver and kidney, while SW supplemented with garlic prevented these damages. The SW alone or supplemented with garlic significantly increased the Bcl-2 value and declined the BAX level in both liver and kidney (p<0.05). The activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver and kidney of the control and saline groups were lower than those in E, G and G+E groups, while a significant increase for malondialdehyde (MDA) value was found in the control and saline groups. Furthermore, the E+G significantly declined the activity of hepatic (ALT, AST and ALP) and renal damage (uric acid, urea and creatinine) biomarkers compared to the control and saline groups (p<0.05).

Discussion: Swimming exercise supplemented with garlic extract not only improves antioxidant capacity but also declines oxidative damages and apoptosis through reducing Bax levels and enhancing Bcl-2 value.

Keywords: antioxidant; apoptosis; garlic extract; old rats; oxidative stress; swimming exercise.

MeSH terms

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
Animals
Antioxidants / metabolism
Apoptosis* / drug effects
Apoptosis* / physiology
Biomarkers / analysis
Dietary Supplements
Garlic / metabolism*
Kidney / metabolism*
Liver / metabolism*
Oxidative Stress / drug effects
Physical Conditioning, Animal
Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
Rats
Swimming / physiology
Treatment Outcome
bcl-2-Associated X Protein / metabolism

Substances

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
Antioxidants
Biomarkers
Plant Extracts
bcl-2-Associated X Protein