Combined Effects of Regular Aerobic Exercise with Vitamin D Supplementation on Some Apoptosis Indices in the Lung of Rats Exposed to Hydrogen Peroxide

Background and Objectives: Exercise is a strong physiological stimulus that can affect apoptosis in the lungs by altering a number of extracellular and intracellular signaling pathways. The present study examined effects of regular aerobic exercise and vitamin D on expression of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 in lung tissues of male rats exposed to hydrogen peroxide. Methods: Forty-eight adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into six groups of eight, including 2 x H 2 O 2, 2H 2 O 2, Vit D (2HD), 2H2O2 + Regular Exercise Training (2HE), 2H2O2 + D3 + E (2HDE) ; Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and control (C). Subjects in the training groups performed aerobic exercise for eight weeks. Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 expression in the lung tissues was measured using RT-PCR. Results: Bcl-2 expression in the exercise (P = 0.004) and vitamin D (P = 0.006) groups increased significantly compared to the control groups. Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 expression was significantly lower in the exercise group and vitamin D supplementation group compared to the control group. On the other hand, concurrent exercise and vitamin D significantly reduce Bax expression but had no significant effect on Bcl-2 and caspase-3 expression. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that regular aerobic exercise along with vitamin D supplementation may play a role in reducing apoptosis in lungs following severe oxidative stress.