Impact of Endurance Exercise and Nano-Selenium on Mitochondrial Gene Expression in Skeletal Muscle of Smoke-Exposed Rats with COPD

Background and Aims

The present study investigates the impact of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) in conjunction with six weeks of aerobic interval training (AIT) on muscular health in rodents exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE).

Methods

Forty-two male rats, 6–8 weeks old, weighing 180–220 g, were randomly divided into seven groups: control, CSE, AIT (49 min per day, five days per week for six weeks), CSE+AIT, SeNPs+AIT (administered 150 µL by injection, one day per week for six weeks), CSE+AIT, and CSE+SeNPs+AIT.

Results

Histological analysis using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining demonstrated that SeNPs, in combination with AIT attenuated CSE-induced lung tissue damage. Pathway analysis revealed increased expression of genes associated with endurance exercise, including PGC-1α, AMPK, TFAM, and l-BAIBA. Specifically, PGC-1α expression was significantly increased in the CSE+SeNPs+AIT group compared to the healthy control group (p = 0.0289), while no significant differences were observed in the other groups (p > 0.05). No significant changes in AMPK, TFAM, or l-BAIBA gene expression (p > 0.05) were observed among the groups.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate that the combination of endurance exercise and SeNPs significantly attenuates CSE-induced lung tissue damage and enhances mitochondrial biogenesis, particularly PGC-1α gene expression, in skeletal muscle. These results suggest that SeNPs supplementation, when combined with AIT, may mitigate the adverse effects of CSE exposure and improve mitochondrial function in smoke-exposed subjects.