The effect of different exercise on the expression of cardiac anti-aging genes in myocardial tissue, sinoatrial node (SA) and atrioventricular node (AV) in elderly rats

Amraei, Zahra; Ahmadizad, Sajjad; Fayaz Milani, Rana; Wisloff, Ulrik

doi:10.22089/spj.2025.17836.2360

The effect of different exercise on the expression of cardiac anti-aging genes in myocardial tissue, sinoatrial node (SA) and atrioventricular node (AV) in elderly rats

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

zahra amraei ¹

Sajjad Ahmadizad ¹

rana Fayaz Milani ¹

Ulrik wisloff ²

¹ Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

10.22089/spj.2025.17836.2360

Abstract

Recently, aging has become one of the biggest health concerns of the global community. With aging, diseases related to aging and a decrease in quality of life occurs. In elderly people, exercise improves the quality of life and the cardiovascular system function. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of various types of exercise on the expression of anti-aging genes in myocardial tissue, SA node and AV node in elderly rats.

Twenty-four male Wistar rats aged 23 months were recruited in this study. The rats were randomly assigned to 4 equal groups (n=6): control, continuous exercise, high intensity interval exercise (HIIE-HV), and low intensity interval exercise (HIIE-LV). After all exercise trials, the rats were immediately anesthetized and scarified to extraction of the heart tissue. Real-time PCR was used to measure the expression GATA4 and AKT1 genes. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data.

Data analysis of the present study showed that HIIE-HV exercise significantly increased the expression of GATA4 and AKT1 genes in the left ventricular myocardial tissue and AV node compared to the control group and other exercise groups. While HIIE-HV and HIIE-LV exercise significantly increased the expression of GATA4 and AKT1 genes in the SA node compared to the control group (P<0.05).

Based on the findings of the present study, it seems that high intensity interval exercise can activate anti-aging genes in myocardial tissues, SA and AV node in elderly rats.

Keywords

Aging

high intensity interval exercise

continuous exercise

cardiac conduction

cardiomyocyte aging

Main Subjects