Antiapoptotic and antioxidant effects of resistance training with berberine consumption on diazinon induced cardiotoxicity in rats

Increasing use of pesticides is one of the health hazards. Physical activity and medicinal plants appear to be a strategy to mitigate the adverse effects of these substances.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of resistance training and berberine chloride on apoptosis and oxidative stress markers in the heart tissue of diazinon-infected rats.

In this study, 80 rats were randomly assigned into 8 groups of 10 animals in each group, including: 1) healthy control, 2) sham, 3) diazinon, 4) diazinon + resistance training, 5) diazinon + berberine (2.5 mg/kg) 6) diazinon + berberine (15 mg/kg), 7) diazinon + resistance training and berberine (2.5 mg/kg), and 8) diazinon + resistance training and berberine (15 mg/kg). During 4 weeks, each groups received a certain amount of diazinon poison, berberine chloride and performed three sessions per week of resistance training.

In the heart tissue of diazinon-poisoned rats, resistance training had a significant (P ≤ 0.05) effect on the increased concentrations of MDA, caspase-3, 8-OHDG and GSH; 15 mg/kg of berberine consumption had a significant effect on decreased concentrations of ROS, MDA, 8-OHDG, caspase-3 and increased (P ≤ 0.05) concentrations of GSH; 2.5 mg/kg of berberine consumption had a significant (P ≤ 0.05) effect on reduced 8-OHDG. Also, 15 mg/kg of berberine consumption compared to 2.5 mg/kg of berberine consumption had a greater effect on reduced 8-OHDG.

It seems that berberine consumption along with resistance training has interactive protective effects against oxidative stress and cell death in the heart tissue of diazinon-poisoned rats.