INTERACTION OF EXERCISE TRAINING AND CHRONIC ETHANOL INGESTION ON TESTICULAR ANTIOXIDANT SYSTEM IN RAT

Recent evidence has indicated that exercise as well as ethanol exerts oxidative stress on vital organs/tissues of the body. However, the com bination of both on the testicular antioxidant system is not known, Th is study investigates the interactive effects of exercise training and chronic ethanol ingestion on the testicular antioxidant system in rat s. Male Fisher-344 rats were treated as follows: sedentary control (SC ); exercise training (ET) for 6.5 weeks; ethanol (2 g kg(-1), p.o.) fo r 6.5 weeks; and ET plus ethanol for 6.5 weeks, Exercise training sign ificantly decreased copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) activi ty and enzyme protein concentration (73% and 67% of SC), whereas manga nese SOD (Mn-SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity significantly increased (157% and 141% of SC) in the testes of rat, Exercise training signific antly decreased the testicular malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (70 % of SC). Chronic ethanol ingestion significantly decreased testicular CuZn-SOD activity, enzyme protein concentration and CAT activity (65, 70 and 47% of SC) in rats. Ethanol significantly increased the testic ular MDA level (129% of SC). The combination of exercise training and chronic ethanol ingestion significantly decreased testicular CuZn-SOD protein, MDA and the reduced glutathione oxidized glutathione ratio (G SH/GSSG) by 62, 70 and 79%, respectively. The data suggest that exerci se training provides protection whereas chronic ethanol ingestion exer ts oxidative damage to the testes of rat, Exercise training seems to r educe the extent of oxidative damage caused by ethanol on the testes o f rats. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.