Effects of exercise and antioxidant supplementation on endothelial gene expression

• Published in: International journal of cardiology 2012-06, Vol.158 (1), p.59-65
• Main Authors: Matsumoto, Aya, Mason, Steven R, Flatscher-Bader, Traute, Ward, Leigh C, Marsh, Susan A, Wilce, Peter A, Fassett, Robert G, de Haan, Judy B, Coombes, Jeff S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular; Diseases of the digestive system; Endothelial cells; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Endothelium, Vascular - physiology; Exercise; Gene expression; Gene Expression - drug effects; Gene Expression - physiology; IL-6; Male; Medical sciences; Physical Conditioning, Animal - physiology; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Rats; Rats, Wistar; RhoA
• ISSN: 0167-5273; 1874-1754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2010.12.104

Abstract Background The molecular mechanisms of exercise training induced cardiovascular protection are poorly understood. There is growing evidence that reactive oxygen species may be involved in a number of these adaptations and that antioxidants may be used to investigate this effect. Objective To determine the effects of exercise training and/or antioxidant supplementation on myocardial endothelium and vascular endothelium gene expression. Methods Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: i) control; ii) exercise trained (90 min of treadmill running 4d per week, 14 weeks); iii) antioxidant-supplemented (α-tocopherol 1000 IU kg − 1 diet and α-lipoic acid 1.6 g kg − 1 diet, mixed with rat chow) and iv) exercise trained and antioxidant-supplemented. Results cDNA microarray analysis showed diverse expression changes in both left ventricular and coronary artery endothelial cells. In particular, RT-PCR analysis showed that a gene involved in cardiovascular disease progression, Ras homolog gene family member A, was down-regulated by exercise, and up-regulated by antioxidant supplementation in left ventricular endothelial cells. Furthermore, an important gene involved in inflammation, IL-6, was down-regulated by all treatments. Conclusions Exercise training and/or antioxidant supplementation affects cardiac endothelial cell gene expression, and their effects on genes such as ras homolog gene family member A and IL-6 provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of their influences on cardiovascular diseases.