Reactive oxygen species in pregnant rats: effects of exercise and thermal stress

With the aim of evaluating the effect of interaction between physical training or exercise only during pregnancy and thermal stress on oxidative stress, and antioxidant mechanism sedentary pregnant rats (PS), exercised pregnant rats only during pregnancy (PE) and trained rats submitted to also exercise during pregnancy (PT) were compared ( N=63). Exercise sessions consisted of swimming at 80% of maximal work load supported into water at 28 °C (hypothermia, PS 28, PE28, PT28) or 35 °C (thermal neutrality, PS35, PE35, PT35) or 39 °C (hyperthermia, PS39, PE39, PT39), for 30 min. The initial body weight in all groups of rats was from 177 to 207 g. On the 20th day of pregnancy, 24 h after the last immersion or swimming session venous blood was collected to determine oxidative stress. Plasma concentrations of means malondialdehyde (MDA) values measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS); total glutathione (GSH) and vitamin E were determined. The oxidative stress index was calculated from the ratio TBARS/GSH and TBARS/Vitamin E. TBARS did not change on the group PE at different temperatures of water; TBARS were higher for PS28 than PS35 and PS39; PT35 had higher values than PT28 and PT39. For GSH, PS39 was lower than PS35; PE28 was higher than PE35 and PE39 and PT35 were lower than PT28 and PT39. Plasma concentration of vitamin E did not present any difference for sedentary rats at different water temperatures, but for PE28, the values were lower than for PE35 and PE39, whereas PT39 was lower than PT35 and PT28. In relation to TBARS/GSH, it was verified an increase in oxidative stress for PS28 (in relation to PS35 and PS39), PE35, and PT35 (in relation to PE28 and PE39 or PT28 and PT39); regarding the ratio TBARS/vitamin E, the highest values were obtained at 35 °C for PS and PT groups and at 39 for PE group. These results have shown the great complexity of the interaction between physical training, thermal stress and pregnancy. Apparently, hypothermia produces large index of oxidative stress only in sedentary rats, but this index was greater at 35 °C in relation to extreme temperatures for trained rats. These results have suggested that physical training allows a more efficient activation of antioxidant mechanisms under thermal stress.