The effects of physical exercise, caloric diet restriction and antioxidant supplementation on the aging process in rats | ||||
Bulletin of Egyptian Society for Physiological Sciences | ||||
Article 15, Volume 26, Issue 2, December 2006, Page 235-252 PDF (257.06 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/besps.2006.37564 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Sobhi Al Kafafi* 1; Samy Hammady2; Mohamed El-Noueam1; Eman Fawzy1; Eman Shaat3; Gihan Shoeib1 | ||||
1Physiology, Pharmacology Department. Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt | ||||
2Drug Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt | ||||
3Medical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt | ||||
Abstract | ||||
The objective of the present study was to assess the effects of age, physical exercise, caloric diet restriction (CR), and vitamin E supplementation on some markers of oxidative stress, DNA damage, apoptosis and liver function in different age groups of rats. The present study included 120 male “Wistar rats”, divided into 3 age groups; 12, 18 and 24 months old. Each group was further subdivided into 4 subgroups; 10 rats each. The first subgroup as a control, the second underwent exercise training, the third was kept on CR and the last was supplemented with vitamin E. The measured biochemical parameters included; serum malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as % DNA fragmentation levels, the active caspase-3 concentration and the monoamine oxidase- β (MAO-β) enzyme activity in the brain of all studied rats. In addition, hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and NADPH- cytochrome c reductase enzyme activities were assessed. The results of this study showed that; the aging process was associated with significantly increased serum MDA, decreased hepatic SOD activity, increased brain DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation as well as decreased cytochrome c reductase activity of liver. However, exercise, CR, and vitamin E supplementation caused a significant decrease in serum MDA and increase in hepatic cytochrome c reductase activity in old group. In addition, exercise could increase SOD and lower caspase-3 in old rats, while CR had no significant effect on both of them. Neither age nor any of the used intervention trials had an effect on brain MAO- β activity. It is suggested that the age-induced oxidative stress, DNA damage and improper hepatic metabolism could be partially attenuated by exercise, CR, and/or vitamin E supplementation. All these beneficial effects might be mostly effective in older age. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
aging; Oxidants; antioxidant; Physical exercise; caloric diet restriction; Vitamin E; Lipid peroxidation; apoptosis; monoamine oxidase-β; Caspase-3; DNA fragmentation; cytochrome c reductase | ||||
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