The effect of swimming training and liposomal BCAA supplementation on miR-133 and miR-206 gene expression in soleus muscle mitochondria of aged male rats

The decline in mitochondrial biogenesis capacity with aging is a crucial factor in the development of age-related diseases. This study aimed at investigating the effects of swimming training and liposomal BCAA supplementation on the expression of miR-133 and miR-206 mitochondrial genes in the soleus muscle of aged male rats.

In this experimental study, 32 male Wistar rats (18 months old) were randomly assigned to four groups: control, exercise (swimming), supplement (BCAA nanoliposome), and combination (swimming exercise + BCAA nanoliposome supplement). Swimming training was conducted for 8 weeks in a plastic tank, starting with 25 minutes on the first day and increasing to 60 minutes by the eighth week. The water speed ranged from 4 to 10 liters per minute throughout the training protocol. Rats in the supplement and combination groups received 600 mg of BCAA nanoliposome via gavage five days a week for eight weeks. The expression of miR-133 and miR-206 genes was assessed using Real-time PCR.

The mean expression levels of mitochondrial miR-133 and miR-206 genes in the soleus muscle of aged male rats in both the swimming training and combination groups were significantly higher compared to the BCAA nanoliposome supplement group and the control group (P=0.001). However, there was no significant difference in gene expression between the combination group and the swimming training group.

The findings of the present study show that eight weeks of swimming training and BCAA nanoliposome supplementation has a positive impact on apoptotic mechanisms in the soleus muscle of aged rats. Further research is recommended to explore these effects in more depth.