Effects of regular exercise plus food restriction on left ventricular pathological remodeling in heart failure-induced rats

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cardiac remodeling is the main pathophysiological process leading to heart failure. Exercise and food restriction have been shown to exert some profound physiological benefi ts. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effects of exercise plus food restriction (FR) on rat left ventricular remodeling. METHODS: Fifty male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups. 1) Sham (saline injection), 2) ISO (isoproterenol injection), 3) FR+ ISO (8 weeks with 60 % food restriction and then isoproterenol injection), 4) E+ISO (run-in period of 4 weeks on treadmill and then isoproterenol injection), and 5) FR+E+ISO. Serum levels of creatine kinase, nitric oxide, gene expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-I and II, Beclin-1, Bax and Bcl2 and TUNEL staining were investigated. RESULTS: ISO increased the plasma CK-MB level, gene expression of Bax and TUNEL-positive cells in left ventricle and at the same time, decreased the serum level of NO. Regular exercise plus food restriction enhanced the expression of LC3B-II, Beclin-1, Bcl2 genes and elevated LC3B-II / LC3B-I, while decreasing the gene expression of Bax and TUNEL-positive cells in the left ventricle. CONCLUSION: Our results propose that exercise plus food restriction is more effective than either therapy alone for possibly preserving cardiac internal defenses against heart failure consequences and remodeling.