Effect of Selenium Nanoparticles on Expression of HSP90 Gene in Myocytes after an Intense Exercise

The present study was conducted with eight female donkeys, 2-5 years of age and 130-190 kg in weight, to determine the effects of orally administered selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) supplementation on heat shock protein 90 (HSP 90) expression during intense exercise. In this research, the animals were randomly divided into two groups, the treated group, which received Se NPs 0.5 mg/kg for 10 consecutive days, and control group, which received normal saline. Middle gluteal muscle and blood samples were taken at the beginning of the experiment (before supplementation), closely after supplementation (before exercise), and at 2, 24, and 72 hours postexercise (recovery), with percutaneous needle guidance. Total RNA was extracted and used for semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR as the criteria for muscular HSP90 gene expression. Results showed that in the control group and in response to intense exercise, serum Se concentration and expression of HSP90 gene increased and decreased at postexercise recovery time, respectively, while in the treated group and following 10 days of Se NPs supplementation, HSP90 expression and blood selenium concentration increased significantly. The HSP induction resulting from Se NPs supplementation protected cells from an otherwise lethal level of stress. In other words, this finding may explain the beneficial role of short-time oral Se NPs supplementation to donkeys in cell stability under stressful conditions such as intense exercise.