The effect of aerobic training with Citrus aurantium L. on SIRT1 and PGC-1α gene expression levels in the liver tissue of elderly rats

Proper nutrition and exercise are two effective factors in improving liver function in old age. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic training (T) with consumption of Citrus aurantium (CA) on SIR1 and PGC-1α gene expression levels in the liver tissue of elderly rats.

In this experimental study, 25 elderly female rats were placed in five groups of 5 rats, including 1) control, 2) sham, 3) CA, 4) T and 5) T+CA. Over the course of eight weeks, groups 4 and 5 ran on the treadmill three sessions per week at 65 to 75 percent of the maximum running speed, and groups 3 and 5 received 300 mg/kg/day of CA extract peritoneally. Forty- eight hours after the last training session and CA consumption, SIR1 and PGC-1α gene expression levels in the liver tissue were measured by real-time PCR method. In order to analyze the findings, the Shapiro-Wilk, one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post- hoc tests were used (P≤0.05).

T had a significant effect on increasing SIR1 (P = 0.009) and PGC-1α (P = 0.001) gene expression levels; CA had a significant effect on reducing SIR1 gene expression levels and increasing PGC-1α (P = 0.001); T + CA had a greater effect on increasing PGC-1α gene expression levels than T and CA (P = 0.001).

Although eight weeks of T and CA consumption alone appear to improve PGC-1α gene expression levels in the liver tissue of elderly rats, concurrent T and CA consumption has more favorable effects than each of them alone.