effect of continuous endurance training on mrna expression of interferon gamma and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in male elder rats

Background: aging impairs function of the heart and is associated with mechanical remodeling. this process involves accumula- tion of collagen and dysfunction in the regulation of active matrix metalloproteinase. on the other hand, exercise training improves cardiac function and regulates the increase of pro-inflammatory molecules, such as interferon gamma, yet the impact of exercise training on aging has not yet been defined. objectives: this study examined the effect of continuous endurance training on mrna expression of interferon gamma (ifn-γ) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (mmp-9) in male elder rats. methods: for this purpose, 14 wistar male rats with age of 24 to 26 months and an average weight of 380 ± 20 g were randomly divided to two groups, including training (n = 7) and control (n = 7). training groups performed continuous endurance training for six weeks. matrix metalloproteinase-9 mrna and interferon (ifn)-γ mrna expression in heart tissue were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. to analyze of the data, the independent t-test was used at a significance level of p < 0.05. results: the findings of this statistical analysis showed that six weeks of continuous endurance training had a significant effect on mmp-9 mrna expression (p = 0.001). also, this training protocol did not have a significant effect on expression of ifn-γ gene (p = 0.628). conclusions: continuous endurance training attenuated aging-induced cardiac inflammation of rats. there are numerous ques- tions that remain to be answered to complete the understanding of the moderator effects of exercise on mmp-9 and ifn-γ, as a muscle conformity or indicate an inflammatory condition.