The Protective Effect of Regular Aerobic Training on Doxorubicin-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats: the Insulin-Like Growth Factor System

Background: the liver plays a central role in insulin-like growth factor (igf) system homeostasis. we examine the protective aerobic training on the igf system following doxorubicin (dox) induced hepatotoxicity.materials and methods: in this experimental study 48 wistar male rats (weighing 257±28 g) were divided into 6 groups: (1) control+placebo (2) control+dox 10 mg/kg (3) control+dox 20 mg/kg (4) training+placebo (5) training+dox 10 mg/kg (6) training+dox 20 mg/kg. hepatotoxicity was induced by dox (10 and 20 mg/kg). rats in the 4, 5 and 6 groups performed treadmill running of 25 to 54 min/day and 15 to 20 m/min, 5 days/week for 3 weeks. results: while, dox 10 mg/kg administration result in an insignificant increase in igf-1 and igf-1/igfbp-3 and an insignificant decrease in igfbp-3, dox 20 mg/kg administration caused a significant increase in igf-1 and igf-1/igfbp-3, an insignificant decrease in igfbp-3, as compared to the group 1. three weeks of the endurance exercise resulted in a significant decrease of igf-1 and igf-1/igfbp-3 levels, and significant increase in igfbp-3, as compared to the group 1. furthermore, after 3 weeks endurance training and dox treatment with 10 mg/kg an insignificant decrease in igf-1, an insignificant increase in igfbp-3 and a significant decrease in igf-1/igfbp-3 were detected, in comparison to group 2. conclusion: dox hepatotoxicity is dose-dependent, acute administration of dox 20 mg/kg caused an imbalance in the igf system and protective aerobic training may improve dox-induced hepatotoxicity by up-regulation of igfbp3.