Short-term exercise training increases plasma levels of klotho and total antioxidant capacity in male Wistar rats

Soluble or circulating form of Klotho (i.e., anti-aging and longevity protein) has biological effects on various body cells and tissues. Considering the role of exercise training on protective proteins, the present study aimed to investigate and compare the effects of short-term high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on plasma levels of Klotho, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Methods: In this study, 24 male Wistar rats with a weight range of 250-300 g and 8-10 weeks old were randomly divided into control, HIIT, and MICT groups. Training included five consecutive days on the treadmill. HIIT including 6×2 minutes high intermittence with 85%-90% Vo2max and 5×2 minutes slow intermittence (active recovery) with 55%-60% Vo2max. MICT program was performed at 70% Vo2max that total distance running was the same for the HIIT group. Then, the plasma levels of Klotho, TAC, and MDA were measured by ELISA assay. Finally, one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: Based on the results, a significant increase was observed in plasma levels of Klotho and TAC in both HIIT and MICT groups compared to the control group (P < 0.001) while these changes were significantly more dominant in the HIIT group compared to MICT group (P = 0.024). However, the results demonstrated no significant difference between the groups regarding MDA (P = 0.109). Contrarily, the finding revealed a significant positive correlation between Klotho and TAC (r=0.79, 0.83, 0.79 in control, HIIT, and MICT groups, respectively, P < 0.05), whereas a significant negative association between Klotho with MDA within all the groups (r= -0.78, - 0.86, and -0.81). Conclusion: In general, even short-term aerobic exercise training, especially HIIT increases circulating Klotho and TAC, therefore, this can confirm the positive effects of the training-induced exercise.