Negative effect of high-calorie high-salt diet on spleen oxidant/antioxidants and structure: preventive effects of sprint interval training

We investigated the effect of a high-calorie high-salt diet and sprint interval training on oxidant/antioxidant status and structural changes in the spleen of male Wistar rats. Eighteen male Wistar rats were randomized into three groups: normal diet (ND), high-calorie high-salt diet (HCSD), and HCSD + sprint interval training (HCSD+SIT). Rats in HCSD and HCSD+SIT groups were under a high-calorie high-salt diet. The SIT (4-9 reps of 10 s duration sprints) performed 3 sessions/week for 8 weeks. Forty-eight hours after the last training session, spleen was removed and used for the assessment of oxidant/antioxidant status and histomorphometric parameters. Results revealed that compared to the ND group, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) level, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were significantly lower (P<0.001) and malondialdehyde (MDA) level was significantly higher in the spleen tissue of the HCSD group (P<0.001) and there was no significant difference between the HCSD+SIT and ND groups in none of the assessed variables (P>0.05). Moreover, there was a significant increase in the red to white pulp ratio and a significant decrease in the number of lymph cells and splenic trabecular volume in the HCSD group (P<0.001). Nonetheless, in none of the assessed morphometric parameters, a significant difference was observed between the HCSD+SIT and ND groups (P>0.05). It seems that SIT training may avert HCSD-induced unfavourable changes in the spleen oxidant/antioxidant status and counteract the deleterious effects of the HCSD on the spleen structure.