Exercise attenuates inflammaging and testosterone decline in aged and morphine-treated rats: a role for NF-κB...

Aging reduces testicular function by lowering sperm quality and testosterone, worsened by diseases. Morphine addiction harms male reproduction by disrupting hormonal balance and increasing testicular oxidative stress and inflammation. Regular physical exercise can help counteract these effects by boosting antioxidants and supporting sperm production. This study explores how exercise mitigates inflammaging and testosterone decline by modulating the NF-κB signaling pathway in aged male rats with morphine addiction. A total of 56 male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups, with four groups for each age category (young and old). The experimental groups were as follows: 1) Control, 2) Trained, 3) Addicted, and 4) Trained + Addicted. Rats in the addicted groups received morphine treatment for 28 days, while the trained groups underwent treadmill exercise sessions for 4 weeks. The gene expression levels of NF-κB and Nrf2 in testis tissue were quantified using RT-PCR. Additionally, the concentrations of the cytokines TNF-α and IL-10 were measured in testis tissue by ELISA. Furthermore, the levels of MDA, TAC, and testosterone were assessed using specific assay kits. Our results demonstrated that morphine exposure in both young and old rats significantly decreased IL-10, TAC, and testosterone levels, while it increased TNF-α, MDA, and NF-κB gene expression. Exercise in both young and old groups resulted in a reduction of NF-κB gene expression, as well as decreased levels of TNF-α and MDA. Additionally, exercise increased testosterone, interleukin-10, and total antioxidant capacity in both serum and testicular tissue. Our results demonstrated that exercise mitigates testicular impairments following morphine exposure in young and old rats via reducing inflammation and oxidative stress while increasing testosterone levels and modulating NF-κB expression.