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Background & objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of endurance swimming exercise training on structural remodeling (volume and parenchymal cell number) and apoptotic index of adrenal gland in pregnant rats exposed to cadmium poisoning.
Methods: A total of 32 pregnant rats weighing 200 ± 20 g were randomly divided into four groups of control, cadmium, swimming, and cadmium-swimming. Cadmium dissolved in drinking water was administered to treatment groups, available ad libitum during pregnancy. Swimming exercises 5 days/week and 60 min/day were performed from the first day of gestation until the end of the period. Two days after delivery, the mothers were sacrificed and their adrenal glands were removed. After stabilizing the samples, Hematoxylin-Eosin staining and TUNEL assay were performed, and the number of necrotic and apoptotic cells in 10 microscopic fields was counted randomly. The size of various regions of the adrenal gland and total number of parenchymal cells were estimated using stereological methods. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA under SPSS software (version 21).
Results: Cadmium poisoning caused extensive bleeding and tissue destruction in the adrenal gland of the pregnant mothers, but endurance training reduced the amount of bleeding. Cadmium poisoning during pregnancy decreased the total volume of the gland, the volume of the cortical part and its different layers as well as the number, size and function of parenchymal cells in all three cortical zones, especially the fasciculata zone. Performing swimming exercise training in this condition worsened the structural state of the gland and led to a further reduction in the number of parenchymal cells within all three parts of the adrenal gland.
Conclusion: Exercise training in determined intensity increased the structural and morphological complications of cadmium toxicity in the adrenal gland of pregnant rats. So, pregnant mothers are advised to use low-intensity exercises and trainings.

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Background & objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of   oral creatine supplementation on biochemical markers of liver, kidney and testis in the male rats under swimming training plan.
Methods: In this study, male Wistar rats, weighing 245±5gr, were divided into five groups (n=8): control, exercise plus zero dose, exercise plus low-dose, exercise plus moderate dose and exercise plus high dose of creatine (200,300 and 600 mg/kg/d respectively). Biochemical studies of blood serum were performed ten days after creatine supplementation and swimming exercises. Following serum collection, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine and testosterone levels were measured using spectrophotometry method. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS software using mixed model ANOVA.
Results: serum levels of ALP showed statistically significant differences between groups receiving low and moderate doses of creatine compared to both control and exercise with zero dose  (p<0.05). Also, the results of serum levels of BUN, ALT and AST showed there was no significant difference between the exercise plus zero dose of creatine, exercise plus low-doses of creatine group, exercise plus moderate dose of creatine, exercise plus high dose of creatine groups and control group. The exercise group with high doses of creatine significantly showed a higher serum creatinine level than control group (p<0.05).The serum testosterone level was significantly higher in the exercise with moderate doses of creatine group than in the control group and exercise plus zerecaratin dose (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The results suggested that short-term creatine supplementation (up to 10 days) might adversely affect some biochemical markers of liver, kidney and testis. However, further studies are necessarily needed to clarify the consumption of short-term creatine supplementation.
 

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Background & objectives: In the pathogenesis of endometriosis, a variety of genes are involved. The aim of this study was to investigate the GATA2 gene expression changes in endometriosis rat model following a period of aerobic exercise and vitamin B6 intake.
Methods: For this purpose, 25 adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, including: healthy control, patient control, patient+training, patient+vitamin, patient+vitamin+ training. In order to create an endometriosis model, rats were first anesthetized and after opening abdominal muscle, ovarian tissue and part of uterine tissue were removed and were inserted into a sterile container with one cc of PBS and sliced. Tissue fragments were transplanted into the abdominal and ovarian areas. The amount of vitamin intake was 60mg/kg and swimming program lasted 8 weeks, 30 minutes a day, five days a week. One-way ANOVA test and Tukey post hoc test were used for data analysis.
Result: The results showed that a period of swimming exercise program in the patient + training group significantly increased the GATA2 level compared to the patient control group (p≤0.001). Also, the GATA2 gene expression level was significantly increased in the patient + training + vitamin group compared to the patient control group (p=0.002). However, its level in the patient group was significantly lower than that of the healthy control group (p≤0.001).
Conclusion: Regular aerobic exercise combined with intake of vitamin B6 may decrease GATA2 gene expression level in endometrial rat model.
 

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Background & objectives: Brain trauma is one of the most common causes of damage to the central nervous system which can lead to death and long-term disability. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of 8 weeks of swimming exercise on the level of memory and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of mice with brain trauma.
Methods: 40 male NMRI mice were randomly divided into four groups (control, swimming, trauma, swimming + trauma). After completing the exercise protocol, induction of trauma was performed by the weight -drop method. Ten days after trauma induction, the mice were evaluated for spatial memory with Y-maze test. The IL- 10 level was measured using ELISA technique. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test were used for statistical analysis at a significance level of p<0.05 and using SPSS software version 26.
Results: The study results indicated that eight weeks of swimming exercise significantly increase memory in mice with brain trauma (p=0.001). Furthermore, eight weeks of swimming exercise significantly increase the level of IL-10 in the hippocampus of mice with brain trauma (p=0.001). However, this increase was not significant in the prefrontal cortex (p=0.126).
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that swimming exercise before induction of brain trauma reduces inflammation and memory disorders and facilitates recovery after injury. Previous exercise training can probably reduce inflammation by increasing the amount of anti-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-10, and limit secondary damage with its protective effect.