The effects of exercise on mitochondrial function in high-calorie fed rats

Obesity is a disease with increasing prevalence and effecting all age groups. Also obesity has a major risk to cause severe health problems. High calorie feeding and sedentary life style, open the way to the obesity. Chemical reactions in our body, have strict relation with energy intake and output. Thus, individual's diet calorie content and activity level influences cellular mechanism. In our research, we used Wistar – albino rats. Rats were fed with different types of calorie content, and the effect of exercise was studied. At the end of exercise or sedentary life span, rats went on surgery procedure. Heart and skeletal muscles (m. gastrocnemius – m. soleus) were isolated and stored in deep freeze, at -800C. At the end of all tissue isolations, mRNA expression levels were determined by PCR and were analyzed by using the 2-ΔΔCt formula. The expression of citrate synthase mRNA levels were elevated by low – moderate exercise, both normal and high calorie fed groups. Significance was determined only normal calorie fed groups. In addition to this finding, CPT-1 and CPT-2, those of important enzymes at lipid metabolism, showed no significant change by exercise or diet type. In conclusion, expression of some cellular signals cannot be stimulated at low/intermediate regular exercise.