Effects of Aerobic and Combined Training on the Gene Expression of Selected Biomarkers Associated with Heart Failure in Adult Male Wistar Rat

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Boj.C., Islamic Azad University, Bojnourd, Iran.

2 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Boj.C., Islamic Azad University, Bojnourd, Iran

10.22080/jaep.2026.31324.2248

Abstract

Background and Objective: In patients with heart failure, the biomarkers sST2, GDF-15, NT-proBNP, and BNP are considered important indicators for disease diagnosis and prognosis. The present study aimed to compare the effects of aerobic and combined training on the levels of these biomarkers (sST2, GDF-15, NT-proBNP, and BNP) in adult male rats.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-four adult male rats (aged 18–20 weeks, body weight 300–380 g) were randomly assigned to three groups: combined training, aerobic training, and control (n = 8 per group). The combined training group performed aerobic and resistance exercises on alternating days for eight weeks, five sessions per week. The aerobic training protocol consisted of treadmill running at 40–60% of maximal speed for 60 minutes, while resistance training involved ladder climbing at 40–60% of maximal load for 45 minutes. Forty-eight hours after the final training session, heart tissue was collected and the expression of the target genes was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-Time PCR). Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post hoc test at a significance level of 0.05.
Results: The results showed that after eight weeks of intervention, the expression of BNP and NT-proBNP genes was significantly lower in both the aerobic and combined training groups compared with the control group (p ≤ 0.05). In contrast, the expression of GDF-15 and sST2 genes was significantly higher in these experimental groups than in the control group (p ≤ 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the combined and aerobic training groups for any of the variables.
Conclusion: Overall, eight weeks of aerobic and combined training in an animal model led to modulation of the expression of genes associated with cardiac function. These findings indicate beneficial adaptive responses to exercise and provide preliminary preclinical evidence supporting the potential role of exercise training as a non-pharmacological intervention; however, human studies are required to confirm clinical applicability.

Keywords

Journal of Applied Exercise Physiology
Volume 22, Issue 43
June 2026
Pages 1-17

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History

  • Receive Date: 18 February 2026
  • Revise Date: 25 May 2026
  • Accept Date: 30 May 2026

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