Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of death in most countries.
Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is a term used to describe the efflux of excess cellular cholesterol.
ABCG4 is a member of ABCG family that play a critical role in this process. The ABCG4 gene provides
instructions for the production of ATP-binding cassette transporter protein whose function is to export
phospholipids and cholesterol out of the cells where they are bound to apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1). Increased
ABCG4 activity could inhibit atherosclerosis. In the present work, the effect of aerobic exercise was
investigated on gene expression and biochemical parameters. Methodology: Participants were 20 obese
women which randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. The experimental group performed 8
weeks of aerobic exercise and the control group remained sedentary. Blood samples were collected 24 hours
before the first session and 48 hours after the last session (participants were fasting). The ABCG4 gene
expression were measured using semi-quantitative-RT-PCR. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version
18). Results: A significant increase in lymphocyte ABCG1 (experimental p<0.003, t=- 8.776) gene expression
was shown following the 8 weeks of training. Plasma HDL-C concentration increased (P<0.001, t=3.90
respectively) and plasma LDL-C concentration decreased (P<0.001, t=4.65) in experimental group when
compared to the control group.
Discussion: Aerobic exercises can increase ABCG4 gene expression. Induction of these genes can effectively
prevent cardiovascular disease and Our findings showed that aerobics improved body composition and serum
lipid profile in obese/overweight women. Our findings support the application of aerobics for
obese/overweight women. Initially, they can start with light programs and proceed to more intense programs