Arielle Condes, Hanna Marque, Kayla Harnist, Dominick Rodriquez, Elyse Policastro

Sponsor or Client: 

Title:

Basal Redox Balance: Effects of Age, Sex, and Exercise

Abstract:

Advanced age substantially increases the risk for a host of diseases including cardiovascular
disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer, and this increased risk is tied to dysfunction of
pathways that respond to cellular stress. One potential reason for this dysfunction is a gradual
shift in the redox state toward a more oxidized cellular environment potentially disrupting cell-
signaling. Nrf2 is an important player in the protection through controlling expression of a host of
genes involved in cellular detoxification and antioxidant defenses. Our lab was the first to
demonstrate Nrf2 activation in response to acute exercise in humans, and in agreement with
animal data, showed age-related impairment in exercise-induced Nrf2 signaling. The next study
from our lab demonstrated that Nrf2 signaling can be improved in young and older inactive men
and women through moderate exercise training. However, the data from this study indicated some sex differences that were unexpected. We performed post-hoc analysis on these data focusing on sex differences. A better understanding of possible sex differences in this pathway would inform future studies and could lead to interventions tailored specifically to either sex.