Long-Term Moderate Exercise Combined with Metformin Treatment Induces an Hormetic Response That Prevents Strength and Muscle Mass Loss in Old Female Wistar Rats

Figure 8

Hormetic response and animal survival. To relate animal survival with the GSH/GSSG ratio and to evaluate the effect that exercise, MTF treatment, and the combination of both might have on them, the hormetic response was analyzed. In order to do it, a “hormetic response” area was established using the minimum and maximum values obtained for the GSH/GSSG ratio with respect to the survival percentage at 24 months of age, in each group. The “hormetic response” area obtained for the sedentary group (S) was established as the reference standard. In the experimental groups, the dotted line represents the total area of the response induced with the different treatments. The shaded area represents the “hormetic response” induced with the treatments, that was determined as the area representing the values higher than the average of the GSH/GSSG ratio, both of the sedentary groups and of the exercise groups. The mean value of each treatment is represented by the continuous vertical line in each experimental group.