Effect of high-intensity interval training and coenzyme Q10 supplementation on cardiac apoptosis in obese male rats

Obesity is associated with several metabolic disorders and myocardial apoptosis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation on myocardial apoptotic proteins in obese male rats.

Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to 6 groups including non-obese control (NOC), baseline obese control (BOC), HIIT, CoQ10, HIIT + CoQ10, and control. NOC and BOC groups were sacrificed at the beginning of the study. Exercise groups were subjected to a HIIT program over 12 weeks. Rats in CoQ10 group were gavage-fed with 500 mg/kg-1 CoQ10 supplement throughout the study. The heart muscle was removed 48 hours after the last training session. The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cytochrome c, BH3-interacting domain death agonist (Bid), caspase-8, and caspase-3 protein expressions were analyzed using western blotting. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

The Bax, Bid, cytochrome c, caspase-8, caspase-3 proteins, and Bax/Bcl-2 were significantly higher in BOC group compared to NOC (P = 0.025, P = 0.0001, P = 0.013, P = 0.017, P = 0.010, P = 0.180, respectively). Moreover, Bcl-2 protein was lower in BOC compared to NOC group (P = 0.025). HIIT program decreased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (P = 0.012), Bid (P = 0.0001), cytochrome c (P = 0.003), caspase-8 (P = 0.006), and caspase-3 (P = 0.002) proteins and increased Bcl-2 (P = 0.001) proteins in heart muscle. CoQ10 supplementation significantly increased Bcl-2 protein content (P = 0.001).

HIIT exerts an anti-apoptotic effect in heart muscle of obese rats. Although the administration of CoQ10 increased Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic protein, it did not show a potent synergistic effect along with HIIT to reduce obesity-related myocardial apoptosis.