The effect of regular high-intensity interval exercise on some apoptotic factors in the brain tissue of old female rats

Background: The aging process is associated with a progressive deterioration of tissues and organs. Apoptotic cell death has been known as a possible causal factor in age-related pathologies. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effect of regular high-intensity interval exercise on some apoptotic factors in the brain tissue of aged female rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 14 aged female Wistar rats were selected and randomly divided into two equal groups (n=7) of control and exercise. The animals performed 10 bouts of 1-min high-intensity treadmill running (20&ndash;34 m&middot;min&ndash;1), separated by 2 min of rest, for 3 days a week for 8 weeks. The rats were killed 48 h after the last treatment and their brain Bax and Bcl-2 levels were evaluated by the ELISA method. Results: The results showed that an 8-week, high-intensity interval exercise decreased brain Bax levels in aged rats (P<0.05). However, a significant increase was observed in the levels of brain Bcl-2 in the exercise group (P<0.05). Conclusion: It seems that a high-intensity exercise may mediate part of its protective effect against aging-induced apoptosis, by increasing brain Bcl-2 and suppressing Bax levels in brain.