The Effect of Eight Weeks of Aerobic Exercise Combined with Curcumin Supplementation on Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in the Liver of Cadmium-Exposed Rats
Shaghayegh Alishan
1
(
Associate Professor, Department of Exercise Physiology, Am.C., Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran
)
Alireza Barari
2
(
Associate Professor, Department of Exercise Physiology, Am.C., Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran
)
Ahmad Abdi
3
(
Associate Professor, Department of Exercise Physiology, Am.C., Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran.
)
الکلمات المفتاحية: Cadmium Toxicity, Curcumin, Exercise, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Liver,
ملخص المقالة :
Background: Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal known to induce oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, particularly in hepatic tissue. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol, and aerobic exercise have been independently shown to mitigate cellular stress. This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of curcumin supplementation and aerobic training on ER stress markers in the liver of Cd-exposed rats.
Methods: 40 male Wistar rats aged 8-10 weeks (n=8 in each group) were allocated into five groups: control (C), cadmium (Cd), cadmium+curcumin (Cd+Cu), cadmium+training (Cd+AT), and cadmium+curcumin+exercise (Cd+Cu+AT). The Cd groups received 5 mg/kg of cadmium daily via drinking water. The AT groups underwent running sessions for eight weeks, five times per week, with each session lasting 30-60 minutes at a speed of 15 m/min on a 15-degree incline. Additionally, the daily intake of curcumin was 160 µL/kg administered orally.
Results: Cadmium (Cd) administration significantly increased hepatic expression of GRP78 and CHOP genes compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Co-treatment with curcumin (Cd+Cu), aerobic training (Cd+AT), and particularly their combination (Cd+Cu+AT) significantly reduced the expression of GRP78 (p < 0.05) and CHOP (p < 0.05) compared to the Cd group. Additionally, the Cd+Cu+AT group showed significantly lower CHOP expression than both the Cd+Cu and Cd+AT groups (p < 0.05), indicating a potential synergistic effect.
Conclusion: Eight weeks of aerobic exercise combined with curcumin supplementation effectively attenuates cadmium-induced ER stress in the liver. These findings suggest that the combined intervention may offer enhanced protection against heavy metal-induced hepatic injury.
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