Voluntary exercise training attenuated the middle-aged maturity-induced cardiac apoptosis

Voluntary exercise training has cardioprotective effects in humans, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. This research was done to estimate the effect of voluntary exercise training to attenuate middle-aged maturity-induced cardiac apoptosis.

The study was designed to divide 64 male mice randomly into four groups, consisting of a 9-month sedentary pre-middle-aged group (9M), 15-month sedentary middle-aged group (15M), and two exercise groups using a voluntary wheel running respectively (9M+EX, 15M+EX). After 3 months, the condition of cardiac apoptosis in different groups was measured by HE dying, TUNEL and DAPI staining, and Western Blot analysis.

TUNEL-positive cells were increased in 15M group compared with 9M group, while decreased in 9M+EX and 15M+EX groups compared with their control groups respectively. Protein levels of AIF, Endo G, TNF-α, TNFR1, TRAF2, TRADD, Fas, FasL, FADD, activated caspase 8, 3, 9, Bax/Bcl2, Bak/BclxL, and tBid were decreased in 9M+EX and 15M+EX groups compared with their control groups respectively. The protein levels of pBad/Bad, 14-3-3, IGF1, IGFR1, pPI3K/PI3K, and pAKT/AKT were more activated in the 9M+EX and 15M+EX groups than those in their control groups respectively. Significant differences were found between 9M group and 15M group for the protein levels of TRAF2, FADD, Bax/Bcl2, tBid and pAKT/AKT.

Voluntary exercise training as an important lifestyle modification may prevent cardiac widely dispersed apoptosis and enhance cardiac survival at middle-aged maturity.