Protective Effect of Aerobic Exercise on the Nasal Mucosa of Rats Against the Histopathologic Changes in Cigarette Smoke Exposure

Introduction: Smoking is a public health problem that has been proven to have adverse effects on human health. Aerobic exercise has positive effects on the human body, especially on the respiratory system. Objective: The aim of this experimental animal model study was to determine whether regular aerobic exercise has a protective effect against the harmful effects of cigarette smoke on the nasal mucosa of rats. Methods: A total of 24 male Wistar albino rats were randomly separated into 3 groups of 8: group 1 (cigarette smoking), group 2 (cigarette smoking and exercise), and group 3 (control group). At the end of the experiment period, histopathological (light and electron microscopy) and immunohistochemical (GSTA 1, CYP1A1, and CYP2E1) evaluations were made of the nasal mucosa of the animals. Results: Goblet cell loss and basal membrane thickening were significantly lower in group 2 and group 3 compared to group 1. In the electron microscope evaluation, the inflammatory expressions of the goblet cells were observed in a very small area in group 2. In group 1, these were distributed over large areas between the mucosal cells. There was seen to be significant swelling of the mitochondria in group 1 compared to the other groups. No statistically significant difference was determined between the groups with respect to GSTA1, CYP2E1, and CYP1A1 scores (P > .05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that regular aerobic exercise has a protective effect against the harmful effects of smoking on the nasal mucosa of rats.