the combined effect of high-intensity interval training and soy isoflavone diet on microrna-133 gene in ovariectomized rats

Background: the combination of exercise and soy extract supplementation decreases cardiac related disease risk in postmenopausal women. objectives: we assessed the combined impacts of soy isoflavone (if) supplementation and exercise on the expression of microrna-133 gene in ovariectomized rats’ hearts. methods: this study was conducted on 50 female wistar rats, which were assigned to five groups, including sham-operated (sham), ovariectomized (ovx), ovariectomized with soy if supplementation (ovx + if), ovx with exercise (ovx + hiit), and ovx with both soy ifs and exercise (ovx + if + hiit). the experimental rats underwent high-intensity interval training (5 days/week) and/or supplied a soy if supplementation for six weeks. the cardiac microrna-133 gene expression was analyzed using real-time pcr after six weeks of intervention. results: ovariectomy down-regulated cardiac microrna133 gene expression, but 42 days of if administration or hiit reversed this effect (p > 0.05). the hiit reversed estrogen-deficiency-related microrna-133 down-regulation greater than if or combining if and hiit (p > 0.05). the ovx + if and ovx + if + hiit (p > 0.05) showed no significant difference. conclusions: our results suggested that treatment with exercise, soy if, and the combined treatment could benefit microrna-133 in ovariectomized rats. this effect was significant when exercise alone was used to induce treatment. thus, these treatments could offer protection in the menopausal period.