Journal of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences
High-Intensity Interval Training Plus Resveratrol: A Synergistic Strategy to Rejuvenate the Aging Heart via VEGF/FSTL1/DIP2 Signaling
By Raheleh Raziee, Lida Moradi, Bahram Abedi and 1 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Aging impairs cardiac angiogenesis via downregulated molecular pathways. While exercise and resveratrol each exhibit pro-angiogenic potential, their combined effect on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1), and disco-interacting protein 2 homolog A (DIP2A) in the aged heart remains unclear. This study investigated eight-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and resveratrol on these proteins in aged rat hearts.
Methods
Twenty-four 15-month-old male rats were randomly divided into sedentary control, HIIT only, resveratrol only, and HIIT + resveratrol groups (n = 6 per). The HIIT protocol involved eight weeks of progressive treadmill running, while resveratrol (15 mg/ kg/day) was orally administered throughout the same period. Cardiac tissue was harvested 24 hours post-intervention, and protein expression levels were analyzed via Western blotting.