The effects of gender and exercise on malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and total glutathione levels in rat liver

This study examined the effects of gender, acute exhaustive exercise and endurance training on the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NOx) and total glutathione (GSH) in rat liver. The study was carried out with 12-week-old male and female Wistar rats. Rats were randomly divided into four subgroups: untrained-control, trained-control, untrained-exhausted, and trained-exhausted. Endurance training consisted of swimming 1 h each day, 5 days a week, for 8 weeks. Rats in exhausted exercise group were forced to swim until exhaustion. Levels of MDA and GSH in the liver were affected by both gender and acute exhaustive exercise. There were no significant interactions between gender, acute exhaustive exercise and endurance training on MDA, NOx or GSH levels in rat liver. In contrast to MDA and GSH levels, the level of NOx was not affected by acute exhaustive exercise or gender. Acute exhaustive exercise increased lipid peroxidation in the liver, especially in females. As a result, we conclude that gender, exhaustive exercise and endurance training do not have an effect on liver MDA, NOx and GSH levels.