Heat Shock Protein 90 Alpha Genes Are Up-regulated by Acute Exercise

This study was designed to further determine the expression pattern and role of heat shock protein 90 alpha genes in pre and post acute exercise amongst young male undergraduates in Nnewi, Nigeria. Twenty five (25) healthy young male undergraduate students with an average age of 24.3± 3 years and body mass index of 22.7± 1.8(Kg/m 2) participated fully in the study. The subjects took part in an endurance race using the Bruce treadmill protocol for sub-maximal exercise for a maximum of 21 minutes. Blood samples were collected from the participants before commencement of the study, at 1 hour, 4 hours and 24 hours post exercise. Heat shock protein 90 alpha genes expression patterns were detected using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method. The expression pattern of heat shock protein 90 alpha genes was up-regulated at 1 hours post exercise and sustained till 24 hours post exercise at 200bp in all the exercised subjects when compared with the pre-exercise stage. Post exercise stress activates the release of heat shock protein 90 alpha genes which are needed to restore cellular homeostasis.