The impact of endurance training on reducing inflammatory markers in the cardiac tissue of methamphetamine-exposed rats

BACKGROUND: Methamphetamine (METH) consumption has significant harmful effects on the cardiovascular system, which can be mitigated by endurance training (ET). This study aimed to investigate the effect of ET on inflammatory markers in the heart of METH -exposed rats. METHODS: A total of 104 male Wistar rats were allocated into eight groups: 1) CONT; 2) SAL; 3) METH; 4) METH -W; 5) METH ET; 6) METH +ET; 7) METH +ET-W; 8) METH ET-W-ET. METH treatment consisted of administering 5 mg/ kg per day of METH. ET was conducted five days per week on a treadmill at 0° inclinations. Each session lasted 30 min (3 m/min for the first 5 min, 5 m/min for the next 5 min, and 8 m/min for the remaining 20 min). The levels of serum CK and LDH, along with the expression levels of caspase-1, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in myocardial tissue were examined. RESULTS: METH exposure increased the levels of serum CK and LDH and the expression of caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 (P ≤ 0.05). Withdrawal of METH led to a reduction in the expression of these factors (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, combining METH withdrawal with six weeks of ET further decreased the levels of serum CK and LDH and the expression of caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Moderate-intensity ET following METH withdrawal reduced METH -induced inflammation in rats, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic strategy for mitigating drug-induced cardiac damage.