| Protective Effects of High-intensity interval training on Apelin Expression and Metabolic Health Impairments Induced by Obesity-Related High-Fat Diets in Wistar Rats |
| Paper ID : 1692-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
|
Mohammad Jahangiri * Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran |
| Abstract |
| Introduction: Apelin is a peptide hormone integral to energy metabolism, glucose uptake, and insulin sensitivity. By promoting glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, apelin helps maintain glycemic control [1]. Apelin expression declines in animal models of obesity and type 2 diabetes induced by high-fat diets, but high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to upregulate apelin and its receptor (APJ), improving metabolic and cardiovascular health [2, 3]. Methods: Thirty-two six-week-old male Wistar rats (average weight 195±15 g) were randomly assigned to four groups: (1) Control (standard diet), (2) Control+HIIT, (3) high-fat diet (HFD), and (4) HFD+HIIT. HIIT consisted of eight intervals of running at 90% maximum running capacity for 2.5 minutes, followed by 2.5 minutes at 50% for active rest, three times per week [4]. HFD groups consumed an HFD (60%) for ten weeks. Gene expression and protein levels were assessed via RT-PCR and Western blot. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test. Results: HFD decreased the expression of Apelin genes and protein (P<0.001). Results further showed that HIIT training increased the expression of Apelin genes and protein (for both P<0.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that a high-fat diet significantly suppresses the expression of apelin gene and protein, which is associated with impaired metabolic function. Importantly, the implementation of HIIT effectively reverses these effects by markedly upregulating both apelin gene and protein expression. This indicates that HIIT has a robust protective impact on metabolic health, even under the deleterious conditions of a high-fat diet, primarily by restoring apelin signaling pathways. Accordingly, HIIT emerges as a promising therapeutic intervention for counteracting metabolic dysfunctions related to obesity and dietary fat excess, through modulation of the apelin-APJ system. |
| Keywords |
| HIIT Training, HFD, Metabolic Dysfunction, Obesity |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
