The Effect of a Period of Endurance Training Along with Electrical Stimulation on the Gene Expression of Some Sex Markers in the Testicular Tissue of Fasted Obese Rats

Alireza  Bagheri; Mehdi  Morady; Mohammad  Malekipooya; Bahram  Abedi

doi:10.18502/ijdl.v25i3.20226

Alireza Bagheri Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Humanities, Mahallat Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mahallat, Iran
Mehdi Morady Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Humanities, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
Mohammad Malekipooya Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Humanities, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
Bahram Abedi Department of Physical Education, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijdl.v25i3.20226

Keywords: Obesity, Fasting, Endurance Exercise, Electrical Stimulation, 5-alpha reductase, Aromatase

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial disease whose incidence and burden on societies around the world isincreasing. Sexual performance in these patients is an important aspect that is often ignored. Therefore, the aim of thepresent study was to investigate the effect of a period of endurance training along with electrical stimulation on thegene expression of some sex markers in testicular tissue of fasted obese rats.

Methods: In this experimental study, with a control group of 40 male Wistar rats (8 weeks old, weighing 200±19grams), after induction of obesity and weight gain, randomly divided into 5 groups of 8: control, fasting-obese, fasting-endurance exercise, fasting-electrical stimulation and Fasting-endurance training-electrical stimulation were divided.Intervention groups for a period of 4 weeks under endurance sports activity (with a speed of 10 to 20 m/min andduration of 20 to 40 minutes), electrical stimulation (foot shock device for 0.5 mA and 20 minutes) and fasting (8 to 16hours) were placed. After exercise and anesthesia, tissue sampling was done and after molecular processes, geneexpression was measured using Real time-PCR machine. For data analysis, two-way analysis of variance test was usedat a significance level of P< 0.05 and GraphPad software.

Results: The results showed that endurance training led to a significant increase in the expression of 5αR andaromatase genes in fasting obese rats compared to the obese group (P= 0.0001). Also, electrical stimulation and itscombination with endurance training led to a significant increase in the expression of 5αR gene (P= 0.0001), but thisincrease was not significant in Aromatase gene (P= 0.377).

Conclusion: It seems that endurance training and electrical stimulation during fasting by increasing the expression of5-alpha reductase and aromatase genes in obese samples is effective in their sexual health and leads to itsimprovement. Also, a combination of electrical stimulation and exercise can have positive effects on this process, butmore studies are needed