Overtraining elevates serum protease level, increases renal p16INK4α gene expression and induces apoptosis in rat kidney

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Overtraining is well known to cause oxidative stress-related apoptosis. However, it also can cause serum protease activity elevation. On the other hand, p16INK4α regulates kidney aging and apoptosis. Hitherto, no studies have determined the relation of overtraining with protease activity and p16INK4α expression regarding kidney apoptosis. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of overtraining on serum protease activity and renal p16INK4α expression, as well as its relation to renal apoptosis in Wistar rats. Thirty experimentally naive male Wistar albino rats (2.5–3 months old, weighing 150–200 g) were divided randomly into three groups: control (C) group (n = 10, without any training program), trained (T) group (n = 10, 30 min of swimming, 3 times a week for 3 weeks) and overtrained (OT) group (n = 10, 60 min of swimming, 7 times a week for 3 weeks). Overtraining increased MDA levels in OT group compare to C and T groups (p < 0.01). We showed that the OT group has a higher serum protease enzyme activity (p < 0.01) and p16INK4α mRNA (p < 0.01) than both C group and T group. In addition, no apoptotic cell was observed in kidneys isolated from the C group, while it was observed in both T and OT groups. There was a positive correlation between the serum protease enzyme activity (r = 0.867; p < 0.01) and p16INK4α mRNA level (r = 0.514; p < 0.01) with the apoptosis in the renal cells. In summary, our result indicated that overtraining elevates serum protease level, increases renal p16INK4α expression and induces apoptosis in rat kidney.