The Effect of Aerobic Training with Vitamin D on Extrinsic Pathway of Apoptosis and Anti- Apoptotic Indices of Heart Tissue of Rats Exposed to Oxidative Damage Induced by H2O2

Apoptosis plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic training (AT) with Vitamin D (VD) on extrinsic pathway of apoptosis and anti- apoptotic indices of heart tissue of rats exposed to oxidative damage induced by H2O2.

In this experimental study, 60 rats were selected and randomly placed into 10 groups of six, including 1) 1 mmol / kg H2O2, 2) 2 mmol / kg H2O2, 3) VD + 1 mmol / kg H2O2, 4) AT + 1 mmol / kg H2O2, 5) AT + VD + 1 mmol / kg H2O2, 6) VD + 2 mmol / kg H2O2, 7) AT + 2 mmol / kg H2O2, 8) AT + VD + 2 mmol / kg H2O2, 9) sham and 10) control. During eight weeks, the rats in groups 1-9 were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of H2O2 at specific doses three times a week; the rats in groups 4, 5, 7 and 8 performed aerobic trainings, and the rats in groups 3, 5, 6 and 8 received 0.5 μg / kg of vitamin D3 intraperitoneally daily. Protein concentrations of Caspase 8, Fas and FLIP were measured in rat heart tissue. For analysis of the research findings, Kolmogorov- Smirnov, one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA along with Bonferroni post hoc tests were used (p≤0.05).

H2O2 has a significant effect on the increase of Caspase 8, Fas and FLIP in the heart tissue of rats (p≤0.05); eight weeks of aerobic training and Vitamin D intake has a significant effect on decreasing the concentration of Caspase 8, Fas and increase of FLIP in the heart tissue of rats exposed to oxidative damage induced by 1 and 2 m/mol/kg H2O2 (p ≤0.05); aerobic training and Vitamin D intake has significant interactions in the reduction of Caspase 8, Fas in the heart tissue of rats exposed to oxidative damage induced by 1 and 2 m/mol/kg H2O2 (p≤0.05), however, it does not have interactive effect on the increased FLIP of the heart tissue of rats exposed to oxidative damage induced by 1 and 2 m/mol/kg H2O2 (p≥0.05).

It seems that performing aerobic training activities and simultaneous consumption of vitamin D supplement has interactive effects on reducing some of the extrinsic pathway indices of apoptosis in the heart tissue of H2O2-rats exposed to oxidative damage induced by H2O2.