The Effect of Eight Weeks of High Intensity Interval Training on Genes Expression of eNOS, HIF-1 and VEGF in Myocardial Infarction Rats

Introduction: Myocardial infarction is cell death in part of the myocardialduring an ischemia. Cell death process in response to activity and appropriate intensity is not clear yet. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of eight weeks of high intensity interval training on endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase, hypoxia-induced factor-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor in rats with myocardial infarction. Methods: 12 male Wistar rats weighing 250 to 300 grams were assigned into two groups: the experimental group (60 minutes running on a treadmill on an interval basis, each interval four minutes with intensity of 85-90 and two minutes of active recovery with 50- 60 % VO2max, Four days a week for eight weeks) and the control group (without training intervention). Genes expression were investigated by the PCR technique. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 18) with Independent sample t-test (p≤0.05). Results: The results showed that endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase in high intensity interval training group (4.755) was significantly higher than the control group (3.615) (p= 0.012), hypoxia-induced factor in high intensity interval training group (9.015) was significantly higher than control group (1.49) (p= 0.001) and vascular endothelial growth factor in high intensity interval training group (6.855) was significantly higher than control group (1.425) (p= 0.001). Conclusion: Generally, eight weeks of high intensity interval training with increasing endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase and hypoxia- induced factor- 1 increased vascular endothelial growth factor and eventually increased angiogenesis and improved cardiac function in male rats after myocardial infarction