Effect of six weeks low intensity interval training on expression of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide genes following myocardial infarction in rat

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is the irreversible cell death caused by ischemia in parts of myocardium. Atrial and Brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) are known as strong markers of myocardial infarction. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of six weeks low intensity interval training on ANP and BNP genes expression in rats following myocardial infarction. Materials and methods: Twelve male Wistar rats on the age of 12 weeks and mean weight of 250-300gr were allocated in two equal groups including experimental group (60 minutes interval running on a treadmill, each cycle including four minutes of running with intensity of 55-60% VO2max and two minutes of active recovery with 45-50% VO2max intensity, three days a week for six weeks) and control group (without training). Real-time PCR was used to assess the expression level of ANP and BNP genes in myocardium (following the MI induction by surgical blocking of left coronary artery). Statistical analysis of data we performed by independent t-test. Results: Our findings showed that there was a significant decrease in expressions of ANP and BNP genes among experimental group in contrast with control group (p= 0.011 and p=0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Adaptation to low intensity interval training may control and moderate the secretion of cardiac hormones in the training group compared to control group following myocardial infarction.