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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1508305
This article is part of the Research Topic Impact of Blood Flow Restriction Device Features and Methodological Considerations on Acute- and Longitudinal Responses to Blood Flow Restricted Exercise View all 8 articles
Effects of low-intensity blood flow restriction training on myocardial injury indices, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic capacity in rats
Provisionally accepted
Yuwen ShangGuan 1,2
Kunyi Huang 3
Zining Zhu 2 Yawei Song 1* Hao Wang 1 Chen Liang 1 Shiqi Yu 4 Guangzhi Zheng 2
Qi Liang 5- 1 Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
- 2 Kunsan National University, Gunsan, North Jeolla, Republic of Korea
- 3 The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong, SAR China
- 4 Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
- 5 Linyi Vocational College, linyi, China
This study aims to investigate the effects of low-intensity blood flow restriction training on myocardial tissue in rats. By measuring the levels of myocardial injury biomarkers in serum and the expression of anti-apoptotic and antioxidant proteins in myocardial tissue, the study preliminarily explores the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Male 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following groups: control group (CON), low-intensity training group (LIRT), high-intensity training group (HIRT), and low-intensity blood flow restriction training group (LIBFR), with 6 rats in each group. Body weight, maximum voluntary carrying capacity, myocardial morphology, myocardial injury biomarkers, and the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, Nrf2, and Keap1 proteins in myocardial tissue were evaluated.Results:(1)cTn1 Detection: The HIRT group showed a significant increase in cTn1 levels (P<0.01), while the LIBFR group had a lower cTn1 level compared to the HIRT group (P<0.05).(2)Nrf2 and Keap1 Results: Compared to the CON group, the LIBFR group showed an increase in Nrf2 (P<0.05), and a significant increase in Keap1 (P<0.01).(3)Bcl-2 and Bax Results: Compared to the CON group, Bcl-2 levels were significantly elevated in the HIRT group (P<0.01) and increased in the LIBFR group (P<0.05), while Bax expression was significantly reduced in the LIBFR group (P<0.05). Regarding the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, the LIRT, HIRT, and LIBFR groups exhibited significantly higher values compared to the CON group (P<0.01). Furthermore, the HIRT and LIBFR groups showed significantly higher Bcl-2/Bax ratios than the LIRT group (P<0.01).Low-intensity blood flow restriction training can effectively reduce cTn1 in rat serum, decrease cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and improve antioxidant capacity, which has a certain protective effect on the myocardium.
Keywords: Blood flow restriction, Low-intensity pressurized resistance training, Myocardial injury, Apoptosis, Rats
Received: 09 Oct 2024; Accepted: 19 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 ShangGuan, Huang, Zhu, Song, Wang, Liang, Yu, Zheng and Liang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yawei Song, Nanjing Sport Institute, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, Jiangsu Province, China
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