Open Access

ARTICLE

Effect of Resistance Training and Spirulina platensis on Expression of IL-6, Gp130 Cytokines, JAK-STAT Signaling in Male Rats Skeletal Muscle

Abdossaleh Zar¹, Fatemeh Ahmadi¹, Forouzan Karimi^2,*, Mozhgan Ahmadi³, Roger Ramsbottom⁴
1 Department of Sport Science, School of Literature and Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Boushehr, 75169, Iran
2 Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 19857-17443, Iran
3 Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Yadegar-e-Imam Khomeini (RAH) Shahre-Rey Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, 18155, Iran
4 Department of Sport, Health Sciences and Social Work, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
* Corresponding Author: Forouzan Karimi. Email:

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics 2022, 19(1), 51-59. https://doi.org/10.32604/mcb.2022.018345

Received 20 July 2021; Accepted 08 December 2021; Issue published 12 January 2022

Abstract

The effect of resistance training and a herbal supplement on muscular signaling pathways are limited. We investigated the expression of IL-6, Gp130, JAK and STAT after resistance training, and Spirulina platensis supplementation in animal muscle. Thirty-two male Sprague Dawley rats (weight: 290 ± 20 g, and 9 weeks of age) were divided into four groups: control (CO; n = 8), Spirulina platensis supplementation (SP; n = 8), resistance exercise (RE; n = 8), and Spirulina platensis + resistance exercise (SP + RE; n = 8). The resistance exercise group trained five sessions each week for eight weeks. Spirulina 200 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ was used in the SP and SP + RE groups. Gene expression was measured by real-time PCR following the last training session. One-way ANOVA test with Tukey’s post-hoc test were used for analysis of data (SPSS, version, 21). Data analysis revealed that the expression of IL-6 (P = 0.001), Gp130 (P = 0.001), JAK (P = 0.0001) and STAT (P = 0.004) increased significantly in the RE group. The expression of IL-6 (P = 0.018), JAK (P = 0.001) and STAT (P = 0.001) in SP + RE group also increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05). SP showed a significant increase in Gp130 (P = 0.001) and STAT (P = 0.001). Supplementation by Spirulina platensis may enhance muscle accretion during resistance training.

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Keywords

Resistance training; Spirulina platensis; IL-6; Jak; STAT

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