The effect of aerobic exercise training on hypoxia condition through PGC-1α angiogenesis signaling pathway in heart tissue of male westar rats

Background: Despite the effect of PGC-1α on biogenesis of mitochondria, the mechanism of its effect on cardiac angiogenesis has not yet been studied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic training and intermittent hypoxia on the expression of PGC-1α angiogenesis-related proteins in the cardiac tissue.

Methods: In an experimental study, Forty male Wistar rats weighing 220±20 gr were randomly divided into four groups; control (C), hypoxia (H), training (T), and Hypoxia + training (H+T) groups. Hypoxia group exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia (PiO2≈106 mmHg, simulated altitude ≈ 3400 m, 14% oxygen for 8 weeks). And exercise group ran on a treadmill for 8 weeks, 5 session/ week. Then, relative protein density of PGC-1α, p-AMPK, ERRα, and VEGFA were measured with Western blot method.

Results: The aerobic training, intermittent hypoxia, aerobic training + hypoxia significantly increased relative protein density of PGC-1α, ERRα, and VEGFA compared to control group. Moreover, phosphorylation levels of AMPK showed an increase in all three groups compared to the control group.

Conclusion: Although hypoxia was an effective stimulator to induce the expression of PGC-1α and VEGFA and aerobic exercise was a potent phosphorylation inducer of AMPK, their combination did not have a synergistic effect.