The Effect of High and Moderate Intensities of Interval Exercise on Perilipin 3 Visceral Adipose Tissue and Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetic Male Rats

The reaction of fat droplet proteins to interval exercise may lead to the development of conditions that provide an underlying mechanism for exercise and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two different intensities of intermittent exercise on perilipin 3 visceral adipose tissue and insulin resistance in male rats.

32 male Wistar rats were divided into two groups of healthy and diabetic. Then, the diabetic rats were divided into three subgroups of diabetic control and two interval exercise methods (8 in each group). The exercise was performed in the moderate- and high-intensity group with 65-70 and 85-90 percent of the maximum oxygen consumption during eight weeks. 48 hours after the last training session, the mice were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of a combination of anesthetic ketamine and xylazine, and adipose tissue around the intestine was removed. The expression level of perilipin 3 protein was assessed by Western blotting, and insulin resistance by the Homeostatic Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) method. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests.

The post hoc test showed a significant decrease in perilipin 3 and insulin resistance in the high-intensity (P = 0.001) and moderate-intensity (P = 0.001) interval exercise groups compared to the diabetic control group; while there was no significant difference between high- and moderate-intensity interval exercise groups (P = 0.328).

High-intensity and moderate-intensity intermittent exercise can improve glucose metabolism as well as dramatic changes in the tissue levels of perilipin 3 in type 2 diabetic rats.