Background and Purpose: The aging is associated with the muscle atrophy, which is exacerbated by age related oxidative stress. The oxidative stress can worsen endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by increasing misfolded proteins and protein aggregation, creating a vicious cycle that ultimately leads to the muscle atrophy. Resistance training has been identified as an effective tool for preventing and mitigating muscle atrophy. Furthermore, selenium, with its high antioxidant properties closely linked to redox homeostasis, has also been considered in this context. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of simultaneous administration nano liposomal selenium and resistance training on the gene expression of PINK, Parkin, and ATF6 in the soleus muscle of aged rats.

Materials and Methods: Total of 20 male Wistar rats, with an average age of 20 months, were randomly allocated into four equal groups: Aged Control + Solvent (distilled water), Aged + Supplement, Aged + Exercise, and Aged + Supplement + Exercise. The resistance training was conducted for eight weeks, four times per week. The training protocol involved climbing a resistance ladder with an 85-degree incline, while a weight equivalent to 25 percent of the rats’ body weight was attached to their tails. Each session consisted of three to five sets of 8-12 repetitions, with progressive overload applied every two weeks. Nano liposomal selenium supplementation at a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg body weight was administered via gavage, coinciding with the training days. Finally, the gene expression of PINK, Parkin, and ATF6 was measured in the soleus muscle using Real-time PCR method. The obtained data were analyzed using two way ANOVA test at a significance level of P≤0.05.

Results: The resistance training and the nano liposomal selenium supplementation independently led to a significant reduction in PINK (P=0.001 for training and P=0.005 for supplement), Parkin (P=0.001 for training and P=0.002 for supplement), and ATF6 (P=0.001 for training and P=0.005 for supplement) gene expression. However, the interactive effect of resistance training and nano liposomal selenium on PINK (P=0.120), Parkin (P=0.141), and ATF6 (P=0.119) was not significant.

Conclusion: Although the resistance training and the nano liposomal selenium appear to be effective individually in reducing the expression of PINK, Parkin, and ATF6 genes in aged rats, and could potentially combat age related muscle atrophy by mitigating oxidative stress and its interplay with endoplasmic reticu;um stress, further research seems necessary to elucidate the interactive effects of the resistance training and selenium in this context.