Correlation between CRP and IL-6 Serum Levels after Induction of Diabetes and Eight Weeks Resistance Training in Rats

Systemic low-grade chronic inflammation is considered to be one of the significant characteristics of diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between C- reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin- 6 (IL-6) serum levels, after induction of diabetes and eight weeks of resistance training in rats. For the purpose of this experimental study, 24 streptozotocin induced diabetic rats were divided into three groups of 8 including (1) first week diabetic control, (2) last week diabetic control and (3) resistance training. Moreover, 8 healthy rats were chosen as the first week healthy control groups to assess the effects of diabetes induction on CRP and IL-6 serum levels. Rats of group 3 were subjected to an eight-week resistance training (3 days/week). Kolmogorov-Smirnov, independent-samples t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient, were used for data analysis (p≤0.05). Induction of diabetes had a significant effect on the increased serum levels of CRP (p = 0.01) and IL-6 (p = 0.01). However, after 8 weeks of resistance training, a significant decrease was observed in CRP (p = 0.001) and IL-6 (p = 0.01) serum levels of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Also, there was no significant correlation between CRP and IL-6 serum levels, after the induction of diabetes (p = 0.23) and eight weeks of resistance training (p=0.65). It appears that there is no correlation between CRP and IL-6 serum levels, after the induction of diabetes and eight weeks of resistance training in rats.