Modulation of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in salivary glandand other tissues in mice by moderate treadmill exercise

The current experiments were designed to study the effect of moderate tread mill training exercise on lipid peroxides and antioxidant enzyme activity i n various tissues of ICR mice. Three-month-old female mice were trained on a treadmill to run daily from 45 to 50 minutes, at 1 km per hour, 6 days a week for a total of 8 weeks. At the end of the 8-week endurance-training pe riod, both sedentary control (SC) and exercise-trained (ET) mice were sacri ficed, and various tissues were collected to measure antioxidant enzyme act ivity. The results showed weight gain and serum lipid peroxides significant ly decreased in ET mice compared to SC mice. Also, although lipid peroxide levels in kidney and salivary glands were found to be significantly decreas ed in ET mice, these mice shouted higher lipid peroxide levels in the liver compared to SC mice. No change was observed in heart and calf muscle tissu e of the ET mice. Exercise was also noted to increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in kidney, heart, and calf muscle homogenates. Increases in catalase activity were present in liver, heart, calf muscle, and salivary g land homogenates of ET mice compared to their SC counterparts. Exercise was also shown to increase glutathione peroxidase activity in liver, kidney, a nd heart homogenates, as well as glutathione transferase activity in liver and salivary gland homogenates. In addition, exercise training was found to increase reduced and total glutathione levels in heart, calf muscle, and s alivary gland. These results indicate that moderate exercise is beneficial to the lowering of lipid peroxides and the increasing of antioxidant enzyme activity specifically in the salivary gland, and also in various organs. H owever, its beneficial effect on elevation of antioxidant enzymes and suppr ession of lipid peroxide varies from organ to organ. (C) 1999, Editrice Kur tis.