Heart ATP-Binding Cassette Protein A1 and G1, Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-α and Liver X Receptors Genes Expression in Response to Intensive Treadmill Running and Red <i>Crataegus pentaegyna</i> (Sorkh valik) in Male Rats

Abstract

Background:: The heart has a very high energy demand and to sustain sufficient ATP generation, can use a variety of different carbon substrates as energy sources if available. Objectives:: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of a high intensity treadmill running training (8 weeks) with or without aqueous extraction of Crataegus pentaegyna (Sorkh valik) on heart ABCA1, ABCG1, PPARα and LXR genes expression. Materials and Methods:: In this experimental study, 20 Wistar male rats (4-6 weeks old, 158.9 ± 9.59 g weight) were used. Animals were randomly assigned into saline-control (SC, n = 5), saline-training (ST, n = 5), Sorkh valik-control (SVC, n = 5) and Sorkh valik-training (SVT, n = 5) groups. Training groups have performed a high intensity running program 34 m/min on a motor-driven treadmill for 8 weeks. Animals were fed orally with Sorkh valik extraction (500 mg/kg) and saline solution for last 6 weeks. Seventy two hours after the last training session, rats were sacrificed, heart were excised, cleaned and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -70°C until RNA extraction. Statistical analysis was performed using a two way ANOVA, and significance was accepted at P < 0.05. Results:: Changes in ABCA1 and ABCG1 gene expression were not significant and a non-significant increase in PPAR-α and LXR genes expression were found in the trained rats and Sorkh valik-control group than in the control group. Conclusions:: The findings indicate that training and Sorkh valik extraction solely were able to increase non-significantly all selected genes expression in rat heart. It seems that exercise with Sorkh valik supplementation trend to decrease mentioned genes expression.