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Background & objectives: Physical training and some supplements through different mechanisms could be effective in reducing apoptosis; the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of endurance training and supplementation of Persia Rosa extract on mitochondrial apoptosis of myocardium.
Methods: In this experimental study, 52 male rats were randomly assigned into five homogeneous groups, three-month control, six months control, Persia Rosa supplement, endurance training and endurance training+Persia Rosa. Training groups participated in endurance training protocol for 12 weeks. The Persia Rosa and endurance training+Persia Rosa groups received 1 gram Persia Rosa extract per kg body weight. After the implementation of the training protocol and consumption of the extract, the surgical and cardiac tissue extraction procedures were performed. The data were analyzed by ANOVA test and Bonferroni post hoc tests at the significant level of less than 5% using SPSS-22 software.
Results: The results showed that Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and Caspase-3 gene expression were significantly decreased in endurance training and endurance training+Persia Rosa groups to the control group (p˂0.05). Bax/Bcl-2 showed a significant decrease in the Persia Rosa supplement group (p˂0.05), but Caspase-3 was not significant in the Persia Rosa supplement group.
Conclusion: It is expected that the effect of endurance training with consumption of Persia Rosa extract on Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and Caspase-3 will provide a good platform for caspase mechanisms and apoptosis processes in the myocardium of rats.

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Background & objectives: Osteoarthritis as a result of the destruction of articular cartilage, leads to joint pain and stiffness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of endurance and ozone therapy on the expression levels of FLS and VEGF genes in the knee tissue of rats with knee osteoarthritis.
Methods: Subjects were male Wistar rats that were randomly divided into 5 groups after two weeks of adaptation, including: control-healthy, control-patient, patient-ozone, patient-exercise and patient-sport. For adapting the rats to exercise and treadmill, walking program was performed before exercise program. The training program consisted of 30 minutes of running on a treadmill with no slope at a speed of 16 m/min for the first week and one m/min added weekly until it reached 22 m/min in the eighth week. Ozone was injected into the knee through the tibiofemoral articular line at a concentration of 20 μg/ml once a week for 3 weeks at 9 o'clock in the morning. Expression levels of FLS and VEGF genes were measured by Real Time PCR. One way ANOVA and Tukey's method were used to determine the difference between groups.
Results: The results showed that the expression levels of FLS and VEGF genes were significantly increased in rats with osteoarthritis. It was also shown that physical training and ozone therapy led to a decrease in FLS and VEGF gene expression levels in osteoarthritic rats. VEGF and its receptors are expressed in OA cartilage and indicating the possibility that VEGF is involved in the elimination of OA articular cartilage by increasing MMP production.
Conclusion: The results of this study are promising for the role of VEGF as a diagnostic marker. VEGF can participate in early OA changes and a treatment modality by modulating VEGF production, which can be considered in future.

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Background & Objectives: Based on the probably positive role of exercise on total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant system (TAS) and their effect on the process of angiogenesis, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of one course of moderate-intensity endurance training on the gene expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B) and angiopoietin-1(ANGPT-1) and TAS and TOS status in cardiac tissue of male rats.
Methods: In this study, 20 male Wistar rats were divided into two equal groups as follows:   1-training group and 2- control group: no sports activities were performed on them. Rats in the training group performed moderate endurance training for 6 weeks and 5 sessions per week from the twelfth week of life. Twenty-four hours after the last training session, heart tissue samples were extracted to measure gene expression levels of VEGF-B and ANGPT-1 and the TAS and TOS status in heart tissues. T-test with the statistical level of (p˂0.05) was used for between groups comparison.
Results:­ Findings showed that after six weeks of endurance training, the expression level of ANGPT-1 and VEGF-B and the amount of TAS in the exercise group significantly increased (p=0.001) and the amount of TOS significantly decreased compared to the control group (p=0.008).
Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it seems that moderate-intensity endurance training can be effective in preventing cardiovascular disease by increasing factors involving in angiogenesis, improving TAS and reducing TOS in heart tissue of rats.

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Background & objectives: Breast cancer is one of the most common diseases and the leading cause of death among women worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of five weeks of endurance training in combination with curcumin on the cancer progression, intratumoral gene expression of angiomiR-126 and Angiopoietin-1 in breast cancer bearing female BALB/c mice.
Methods: The present study was an experimental study. 4T1 breast cancer was transplanted into forty female BALB/c mice. Afterward, they were randomly divided into four groups including, a control group (C), an endurance training group (E), an endurance training along with curcumin (EC) and curcumin group (CC). E and EC groups performed 40 min at a constant running intensity corresponding to 60-65% vVo_2peak at 0% inclination, 5 weeks (five days a week). CC and EC groups were treated by oral gavage with curcumin for five weeks (six days a week). Then, tumor tissue of all mice was extracted 24 hour after the last training session. Gene expression levels of miR-126 and angiopoietin-1 were determined by qReal-time PCR. Statistical data values were also measured by One-way ANOVA.
Results: The results showed a significant inhibition of cancer growth, increased gene expression of miR-126 (p<0.001) and decreased angiopoietin-1 gene expression (p<0.001) in E, CC, and especially E-C compared to control group. All of these changes were significantly greater in the EC group than in the other intervention groups (p<0.001).
Conclusion: It seems that five weeks of endurance training with curcumin supplementation possibly have a further effect on decreasing breast cancer mass growth by inhibiting miR-126 /angiopoietin-1 axis compared to other interventions alone.

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Background & objective: Diabetes causes chronic problems in the structure and function of tissues, such as apoptosis and fibrosis in addition to glycemic disorders. In this study the effect of 8 weeks of endurance and resistance training on various signaling pathways of apoptosis and tissue fibrosis of the heart of diabetic rats was investigated.
Methods: Thirty Wistar rats, approximately 8-10 weeks old, weight about 210-250 grams, received intraperitoneal injection of diabetic streptozotocin and were randomly divided into three groups: endurance training, resistance training and control group. The rats of the endurance training group were trained on the treadmill for 8 weeks, 5 days a week with intensity of vo2Max 60-80%. The resistance training group was trained on the ladder with a slope of 85 degrees and with a weight equals to 30-100% of their body weight. Forty eight hours after the last training session, blood samples were collected and ventricular tissues of mice were extracted. Glucose, insulin, serum insulin resistance index and Bcl-2, Bax, caspase 8 gene expression levels and Bax to Bcl-2 ratio were evaluated. Masson's trichrome and hematoxylin-eosin staining methods were used for histological examination of diabetic rat's heart structure to detect fibrosis.
Results: There was a significant decrease in Bax gene expression and the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2, and also  there was a significant increase in Bcl-2 and caspase 8 in the endurance and resistance training groups in comparison with the control group. The rate of cardiomyocyte fiber rupture in the endurance and resistance groups was less than the control group, and the presence of lymphocyte cells was observed in some fibers in the control group. (p≤0.05).
Conclusion: The results showed that high-intensity resistance training and moderate-intensity endurance training can prevent tissue fibrosis caused by collagen deposition in diabetes, and these two types of training can reduce the factors involved in apoptosis both in the internal and external pathways. On the other hand, this training intensity can be used as an effective non-pharmacological method to reduce the problems of apoptosis and fibrosis caused by diabetes in the heart tissue.