The Protective Effect of 6 Weeks of Voluntary Training on Liver Apoptosis Induced by Doxorubicin in Aging Model Rats

Different training methods have been presented to reduce the side effects of doxorubicin and it seems that according to patient's condition, the time to start exercises, and the duration and stress of exercise should be considered. This study aimed to investigate the preventive effect of voluntary exercise on liver apoptosis induced by doxorubicin in aging model rats.
42 adult male Wistar rats were divided into 6 equal groups of young, aging, aging saline, aging doxorubicin, aging doxorubicin voluntary training, and aging saline voluntary training. Voluntary training was performed in cages equipped with a running wheel for six weeks individually and freely. At the same time, as the end of the training, doxorubicin or saline solution was injected with a cumulative dose (1 mg/kg). 48 hours after completion of the training, liver tissue sampling was performed to assess the apoptosis via examining the expression of Bax and B-cell leukemia 2 (Bcl-2) proteins using western blot method.
Findings: One-way analysis of variance showed that in the training groups, the expression level of Bax protein and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio decreased significantly, and the expression of Bcl-2 protein was significantly increased in comparison to the control groups.
Voluntary exercises prior to treatment with doxorubicin can reduce apoptosis and increase survival in healthy elderly hepatocytes via reducing the Bax protein and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, thereby reducing the side effects of doxorubicin.