Effect of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Selected Indicators of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Myocardial Tissue of Diabetic Male Wistar Rats

Background and purpose: Impaired mitochondrial biogenesis in heart tissue is one of the contributing factors to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Physical activity represents a non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway. The present study a...

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Main Authors: Sadegh Jafari, Farzad Nazem, Hesam Parsa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
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Online Access:http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-21836-en.pdf
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author Sadegh Jafari
Farzad Nazem
Hesam Parsa
author_facet Sadegh Jafari
Farzad Nazem
Hesam Parsa
author_sort Sadegh Jafari
collection DOAJ
description Background and purpose: Impaired mitochondrial biogenesis in heart tissue is one of the contributing factors to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Physical activity represents a non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise on the expression of genes associated with key indicators of mitochondrial biogenesis in the heart tissue of diabetic rats. Methods & Materials: A laboratory-based experimental study was conducted on 32 male Wistar rats, randomly assigned to four groups: control, sham, diabetic, and intervention diabetic (with aerobic exercise for either 3 or 5 days per week). Diabetes was induced using streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). Exercise training was performed on a treadmill for 10 weeks (3 or 5 days per week, 30 to 55 minutes per day). Blood and heart tissue samples were collected for biochemical analyses and gene expression studies using qRT-PCR, focusing on PGC-1α, NRF1, NRF2, and TFAM genes. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The expression of PGC-1α and NRF2 genes in the heart tissue of the sham diabetic group was reduced compared to the control group, accompanied by a significant increase in fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HbA1c levels (P<0.05). However, the expression of NRF1 and TFAM genes did not show a significant difference between these groups. The effect of aerobic exercise on diabetic rats demonstrated that, in the intervention group with three alternating days of exercise per week, the expression levels of PGC-1α, NRF2, and TFAM genes in cardiac tissue significantly increased compared to the sham group (P<0.05). In contrast, no significant difference was observed in the levels of these genes in the intervention group with five days of exercise per week, compared to the sham group. Furthermore, NRF1 gene expression did not differ significantly in any of the training groups compared to the sham group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise performed three days per week plays a beneficial role in enhancing the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway in the myocardium of diabetic rats by upregulating the expression of PGC-1α, NRF2, and TFAM genes in heart tissue.
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spelling doaj-art-ae3a4147087d4dd68f51bf91f2071d952025-08-20T03:22:30ZengMazandaran University of Medical SciencesJournal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences1735-92601735-92792025-05-0135245114Effect of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Selected Indicators of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Myocardial Tissue of Diabetic Male Wistar RatsSadegh Jafari0Farzad Nazem1Hesam Parsa2 PhD Student in Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran Professor, Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran Background and purpose: Impaired mitochondrial biogenesis in heart tissue is one of the contributing factors to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Physical activity represents a non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise on the expression of genes associated with key indicators of mitochondrial biogenesis in the heart tissue of diabetic rats. Methods & Materials: A laboratory-based experimental study was conducted on 32 male Wistar rats, randomly assigned to four groups: control, sham, diabetic, and intervention diabetic (with aerobic exercise for either 3 or 5 days per week). Diabetes was induced using streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). Exercise training was performed on a treadmill for 10 weeks (3 or 5 days per week, 30 to 55 minutes per day). Blood and heart tissue samples were collected for biochemical analyses and gene expression studies using qRT-PCR, focusing on PGC-1α, NRF1, NRF2, and TFAM genes. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The expression of PGC-1α and NRF2 genes in the heart tissue of the sham diabetic group was reduced compared to the control group, accompanied by a significant increase in fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HbA1c levels (P<0.05). However, the expression of NRF1 and TFAM genes did not show a significant difference between these groups. The effect of aerobic exercise on diabetic rats demonstrated that, in the intervention group with three alternating days of exercise per week, the expression levels of PGC-1α, NRF2, and TFAM genes in cardiac tissue significantly increased compared to the sham group (P<0.05). In contrast, no significant difference was observed in the levels of these genes in the intervention group with five days of exercise per week, compared to the sham group. Furthermore, NRF1 gene expression did not differ significantly in any of the training groups compared to the sham group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise performed three days per week plays a beneficial role in enhancing the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway in the myocardium of diabetic rats by upregulating the expression of PGC-1α, NRF2, and TFAM genes in heart tissue.http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-21836-en.pdfaerobic exercisetype 2 diabetespgc-1αnrf1nrf2tfam
spellingShingle Sadegh Jafari
Farzad Nazem
Hesam Parsa
Effect of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Selected Indicators of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Myocardial Tissue of Diabetic Male Wistar Rats
Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences
aerobic exercise
type 2 diabetes
pgc-1α
nrf1
nrf2
tfam
title Effect of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Selected Indicators of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Myocardial Tissue of Diabetic Male Wistar Rats
title_full Effect of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Selected Indicators of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Myocardial Tissue of Diabetic Male Wistar Rats
title_fullStr Effect of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Selected Indicators of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Myocardial Tissue of Diabetic Male Wistar Rats
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Selected Indicators of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Myocardial Tissue of Diabetic Male Wistar Rats
title_short Effect of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Selected Indicators of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Myocardial Tissue of Diabetic Male Wistar Rats
title_sort effect of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on selected indicators of mitochondrial biogenesis in the myocardial tissue of diabetic male wistar rats
topic aerobic exercise
type 2 diabetes
pgc-1α
nrf1
nrf2
tfam
url http://jmums.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-21836-en.pdf
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