Comparison of exercise-induced markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant gene expression across multiple tissue types in untrained males.

AIM:
It is well documented that exercise increases oxidative stress and markers of mitochondrial DNA damage in addition to an up-regulation of antioxidant gene expression.
To date, most research using the exercise model has been conducted using blood samples, and only a handful with muscle biopsies in humans. A lack of research using human skeletal muscle may be due to the invasive nature of
biopsy techniques and that muscle biopsies do not allow for real-time assessment during exercise.
Blood sampling has been used frequently throughout the research, this is still invasive, although considerably less so than muscle biopsies.
We propose to investigate the potential to measure
oxidative stress and antioxidant gene expression in alternative tissue types including saliva, sweat and skin. We aim to identify there are any similarities in markers of exercise-induced oxidative stress and antioxidant gene expression across multiple tissues in the human body.
METHODS:
Propose to use 10-20 healthy males ages 18-35 years to complete an exhaustive bout of incremental treadmill running based on pre-determined VO2max values. A novel, minimally-invasive muscle biopsy technique will be used to extract skeletal muscle samples pre and immediately post-exercise, then at 120 minutes of recover. Blood, saliva, skin and sweat samples will be taken at the same time points, with the addition of samples taken at the midway point of exercise. All tissue samples to be analysed for products of oxidative stress, 8-OHdG and H2O2, and antioxidant gene
expression of HO-1 and OGG1.
ANTICIPATED IMPACT:
The proposed study will provide evidence of any correlation of antioxidant gene expression through alternative and less
-invasive methods, with the potential to avoid highly
invasive techniques in future research into exercise, oxidative stress and antioxidant gene expression. The use of a novel, minimally-invasive muscle biopsy technique will also be used.