Background & objectives: The “redox” state represents the oxidation/reduction potential within the cell in a way that more “redox” is the marker of health, while the more oxidized reflects predisposition to diseases. Different types of exercise training may change the thiol/disulfide ratio of redox couples such as glutathione and represent a shift in redox balance. This study was assessed the influence of high-intensity aerobic exercise on glutathione redox state in red blood cells in professional, recreational athletes and nonathletes.

  Methods: Ten voluntary well trained (WT), moderately trained (MT) and untrained men subjectswere randomly selected for this semi-experimental study (mean ages of 21.10±1.72 21.70±1.88 and 20.10±1.44, respectively). Blood samples were collected before, immediately, 10 min and 30 min after acute aerobic exercise with 75%VO2max. The levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and (GSH/GSSG) in red blood cells (RBCs) as well as serum levels of cortisol and creatine kinase (CK) were measured.

  Results: The results showed reduction, elevation and no changes in RBCs GSH/GSSG ratio in UT, MT and WT groups, respectively. The lowest levels of GSH/GSSG ratio in RBCs and the highest one were detected in the WT and MT groups, respectively. The serum levels of cortisol and creatine kinase were increased following the exercise in three groups.

  Conclusion: It is concluded that acute aerobic exercise with high intensity does not change redox balance in well trained subjects, however it is capable to shift redox balance towards more reducing environment in moderately trained subjects and also to more oxidizing one in untrained subjects.

� Background & objectives: Obesity and visceral fat accumulation after menopause are associated with lipid profile changes, metabolic syndrome and c ardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 8-week aerobic - resistance training and estrogen replacement therapy on visceral fat and cardiovascular risk factors in ov ariectomized rats.

� Methods: Fifty female Wistar rats were ov ariectomized and divided into 5 OVX groups (n=10 rats per group): Ovx+sedentary (Sedentary), aerobic - resistance training (Ovx+Exe), aerobic - resistance training+estrogen replacement therapy (Ovx+Exe+Est), estrogen replacement therapy (Ovx+Est) and vehicle group or sesame oil (Ovx+Oil). The exercise consisted of aerobic-resistance training (20 m/min, 3 days/week, 60 min/day, 10% slope, Load 3% body weight) 17b-estradiol valerate (30 �g/kg bw in 0.2 ml sesame oil) were injected subcutaneously three days a week during 8 week. The co-treatment group received both exercise and estradiol protocol as same as previous groups.

� Results: After 8-week of interventions, visceral fat significantly reduced by Ovx+Exe and Ovx+Exe+Est compared to Sedentary rats (p<0.05), however no significant difference in body weight was observed. BMI significantly reduced in Ovx+Exe and Ovx+Exe+Est groups compared to Sedentary group. Also, BMI significantly reduced in Ovx+Est compared to Ovx+Oilgroup (p<0.05). Although this intervention changed lipid profiles, they were not statistically significant in neither of groups. Statistical comparisons between groups were performed usingone-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey&rsquos post-hoc test. The differences were considered significant at p<0.05.

� Conclusion: Eight weeks aerobic-resistance training successfully decreases visceral fat and BMI.

Background & objectives: Estrogen reduction after the menopause is associated with visceral adipose tissue accumulation and insulin resistance. Serum omentin-1 level is also decreased by abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. This study investigated the effect of estrogen on visceral fat, omentin-1 and insulin resistance in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Methods: Thirty 13-week-old female Wistar rats weighing180±5 gr were randomly matched on their body weight and divided into OVX (n=20) and sham-operated (SHAM; n=10) groups. OVX rats were subdivided into estrogen replacement therapy (Ovx+Est; n=10), and control (Ovx+sesame Oil; n=10) groups. The estrogen replacement therapy received 17b-estradiol (30µg/kg bw; in 0.2 ml sesame oil) three days a week, for eight weeks. Ovx+Oil received the same sesame oil subcutaneously as vehicle. All intra-abdominal fat depots were dissected out and weighed immediately. Omentin-1 concentration was measured by rat omentin ELISA kit and HOMA-IR was used to estimate the insulin resistance. Obtained data were analyzed by ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test.

Results: Visceral fat was decreased by 12.84% in Ovx+Est compared to Ovx+Oil group; but it wasn ́t significant. Whereas, body weight was significantly decreased by 7.87 % in Ovx+Est compared to Ovx+Oil; and it was significantly increased by 12.5% in Ovx+Oil compared to SHAM group. Omentin-1 level was significantly increased by 41% in Ovx+Est compared to Ovx+Oil group; whereas it was significantly decreased by 13.9% in Ovx+Oil compared to SHAM group. The levels of glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR were significantly decreased to 51.16%, 24.23% and 61.52%, respectively, in Ovx+Est group compared to the rats in Ovx+Oil group (p=0.0001).

Conclusion: 8-week estrogen reduces body weight and improves insulin resistance probably via increase in omentin-1.