Impacts of endurance training and crocin supplementation on the apoptotic pathways in rat skeletal muscle following doxorubicin administration

Background and aims: Doxorubicin (DOX), in addition to its anti-cancer properties, causes toxicity and increases the apoptosis of healthy tissues. The objective of the current research was to explore the concurrent influence of an eight-week aerobic training regimen combined with crocin supplementation on the apoptosis induced by DOX within the soleus muscle tissue of male rodents. Methods: In this study, a cohort of ۴۰ male Wistar rats, each weighing between ۲۰۰ and ۲۲۰ g and approximately ۸ weeks old, were systematically distributed into five distinct experimental clusters, including a healthy control (normal saline) and a patient control (intraperitoneal injection of ۲ mg/kg of DOX ). The other clusters were DOX-exercise (intraperitoneal injection of ۲ mg/kg of DOX with eight weeks of treadmill/۵ days a week), DOX-crocin (intraperitoneal injection of ۲ mg/kg) ۲ kg of DOX along with ۱۰ mg/kg of crocin extract/۸ weeks), and DOX-exercise-crocin. Results: The administration of DOX was associated with a notable elevation in Bax and a reduction in Bcl-۲ expression (P=۰.۰۰۱ and P=۰.۰۰۱). In contrast, engaging in eight weeks of aerobic exercise, ingesting crocin, or a synergistic approach combining both interventions resulted in a marked upregulation of Bcl-۲ expression (P=۰.۰۰۱). This combined treatment also led to a significant diminution in the Bax mRNA (P=۰.۰۰۶) and a decrease in the Bax/Bcl-۲ ratio (P=۰.۰۰۱) within the soleus muscle tissue of male rodents subjected to DOX exposure. Conclusion: Aerobic exercise with crocin supplementation could inhibit apoptosis caused by DOX in the soleus muscle of male rats.