Background and Objective: Diabetes ‌mellitus affects vital tissues such as the heart and kidney through multiple mechanisms such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of six weeks of aerobic and resistance‌ training on the levels of TGF-β1 protein in heart and kidney tissue in male diabetic rats.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-four healthy male rats were purchased from the Pasteur Institute in Tehran. Then, 18 Rats were made diabetic by injecting streptozotocin at a dose of 50 mg/kg of body weight and divided into three groups (aerobic diabetic (n=6), resistant diabetic (n=6), and sham diabetic (n=6)). Six healthy Rats were placed in the healthy control group (n=6). The aerobic diabetic and resistant diabetic groups performed exercise for six weeks with their own specific protocol. ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test at a p ≤ 0.05 level were used to test hypotheses.
Results: Following diabetes, TGF-β1 protein levels in heart and kidney tissue were significantly increased compared to the healthy control group. Six weeks of aerobic and resistance training significantly decreased TGF-β1 protein levels in both heart and kidney tissue compared to the sham diabetic group. Also, six weeks of aerobic and resistance training significantly reduced fasting blood sugar compared to the sham diabetic group.
Conclusion: Six weeks of aerobic and resistance training both reduce TGF-β1 protein levels in heart and kidney tissue to the same extent, as well as fasting blood glucose levels in male diabetic rats.