Autophagy response to the use of a comprehensive health program

Abstract

Background. Much attention has recently been paid to the molecular mechanisms of healing. Autophagy is one of the important intracellular mechanisms responsible for cell purity and sanogenesis. Evaluation of the complex impact of factors included in health programs on autophagy activity is of scientific and practical interest. Aim: to characterize the autophagy response in patients of different weight, sex, and age under the influence of a complex of health-improving factors. Material and methods. The study involved 77 patients aged 18 years and older who underwent a health course for 19–21 days. The complex of recreational activities included: diet therapy (calorie restriction by 40–50 %), physiotherapy exercises, manual and hardware massage, mud therapy, magnetic infrared laser and bioresonance therapy, and infrared sauna. The patients underwent a general clinical examination, clinical and biochemical blood tests (a complete blood count, total cholesterol, fractions of LDL, HDL, triglycerides); the content of total fat was determined by the impedance method on the device. To assess the basic and induced autophagy, the generally accepted indicator of the Beclin 1 protein concentration, which was determined by ELISA, was used. Blood draw was carried out in the morning under fasting condition on the 2nd and 12th days after arrival. Statistical data processing was carried out using the SPSS STATISTICS program (26.0). To compare the mean values, the parametric Student’s t-test and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test were used; the correlation analysis was carried out according to Pearson. Relationships and differences were considered significant at p<0.05. Results. It was found that in the initial state, the basic activity of autophagy in individuals with a BMI less than 30 kg/m2, as well as in men and patients over 60 years of age, is significantly reduced. The response to recreational activities was characterized by autophagy activation in the entire group, especially in patients over 60 years of age in individuals with a BMI over 30 kg/m2 compared with baseline; it was more pronounced in men than in women. The amount of fat mass lost did not correlate with the activity of induced autophagy, but the latter positively correlated with HDL and negatively correlated with TC and LDL. The noted positive clinical effects from the use of a health-improving program make it possible to attribute the variant of the autophagy reaction to reparative autophagy. Conclusion. A complex of recreational activities, including diet therapy, physiotherapy exercises, manual and hardware massage, mud therapy, magnetic infrared laser therapy, bioresonance therapy, and a phyto-barrel is a physiological activator of reparative autophagy. In order to prescribe personalized programs, it is necessary to take into account such available indicators as gender, age, weight, and obesity.