Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent that causes hepatotoxicity via depletion of anti-oxidants and activation of apoptosis. Present study was aimed to investigate the interactive effects of two forced treadmill running and voluntary wheel running exercise training method and Nanocurcumin supplement on hepatic damage, in aging model subjects.

Methods: This experimental research was performed in animals and exercise physiology laboratory of Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Iran, in April, 2014. The statistical population was eighty Wistar male rats that, received a daily injection of D-galactose solution for nine weeks (100 mg/kg body weight per day, i.p.) and then, they randomly assigned to 10 groups. The forced treadmill running protocol was progressively between 25 to 54 min/day at the intensity of 15 to 20 m/min for 5 days per week for six weeks and voluntary wheel running exercise was six weeks. DOX was administrated for 15 days (1 mg/mL/kg body weight per day, i.p.). Nanocurcumin supplement was administrated for 14 days (100 mg/kg body weight per day. orally). Superoxide dismutase and apoptosis inducing factor levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

Results: Implementation of two forced treadmill running and voluntary wheel running exercise with Nanocurcumin supplement, respectively led to insignificant decrease and increase in superoxide dismutase levels in comparison with the implementation of this exercise methods alone (P= 0.955 and P= 1.000, respectively). Apoptosis Inducing Factor levels following these two training method with Nanocurcumin supplement, has insignificant decrease in comparison with the implementation of this exercise methods alone (P= 1.000 and P= 1.000, respectively).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that, however implementation of these training methods with Nanocurcumin supplement, partly mitigates the side effects of doxorubicin, but this level of intervention is not sufficient to protect against doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity in aging model rats.