[Exercise training in hypoxia prevents hypoxia induced mitochondrial DNA oxidative damage in skeletal muscle]

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of exercise training on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) oxidative damage and 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase-1 (OGG1) expression in skeletal muscle of rats under continuous exposure to hypoxia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 8): normoxia control group (NC), normoxia training group (NT), hypoxia control group (HC), and hypoxia training group (HT). The hypoxia-treated animals were housed in normobaric hypoxic tent containing 11.3% oxygen for consecutive 4 weeks. The exercise-trained animals were exercised on a motor-driven rodent treadmill at a speed of 15 m/min, 5% grade for 60 min/day, 5 days per week for 4 weeks. The results showed that, compared with NC group, hypoxia attenuated complex I, II, IV and ATP synthase activities of the electron transport chain, and the level of mitochondrial membrane potential in HC group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Moreover, hypoxia decreased mitochondrial OGG1, MnSOD, and GPx activities (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), whereas elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the level of 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in mtDNA (P < 0.01). Furthermore, hypoxia attenuated muscle and mitochondrial [NAD⁺]/ [NADH] ratio, and SIRT3 protein expression (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with HC group, exercise training in hypoxia elevated complex I, II, IV and ATP synthase activities, and the level of mitochondrial membrane potential in HT group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Moreover, exercise training in hypoxia increased MnSOD and GPx activities and mitochondrial OGG1 level (P < 0.01), whereas decreased ROS generation and the level of 8-oxodG in mtDNA (P < 0.01). Furthermore, exercise training in hypoxia increased muscle and mitochondrial [NAD⁺]/[NADH] ratio, as well as SIRT3 protein expression (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). These findings suggest that exercise training in hypoxia can decrease hypoxia-induced mtDNA oxidative damage in the skeletal muscle through up-regulating exercise-induced mitochondrial OGG1 and antioxidant enzymes. Exercise training in hypoxia may improve hypoxia tolerance in skeletal muscle mitochondria via elevating [NAD⁺]/[NADH] ratio and SIRT3 expression.