Effect of aerobic and resistance training on secreted protein acidic rich in cysteine, decorin, and myonectin muscle genes expression in rats fed with a high-fat diet

Fatty diet can affect the expression of myokines. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aerobic and resistance training secreted protein acidic rich in cysteine (SPARC), decorin (DCN), and myonectin muscle gene expression in rats fed with a high-fat diet.

In this experimental study, 32 rats were randomly divided into healthy control, obese control, obese + aerobic exercise, and obese + resistance exercise groups. The training program was implemented for 4 weeks at aerobic moderate intensity (50% VO2max in the first week and 65% VO2max in the last week). For resistance training, the animals were also trained to climb the ladder (height 110 cm, slope 80%, and the distance between the bars of the ladder 2 cm), which is based on the determination of one-repetition maximum (1RM). Obese rats received a dose of 0.5 mL/100 g of body weight orally by gavage for 4 weeks and 5 days a week.

There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of DCN expressions (P = 0.702). However, the expression of SPARC (P = 0.039) and myonectin in the obese control group was significantly increased compared to the healthy control (P = 0.038). The expression of SPARC and myonectin in the aerobic training group (P = 0.038, P = 0.042) and the resistance training group (P = 0.048, P = 0.049) was significantly decreased in comparison to obesity control. Resistance training caused a greater decrease in myonectin compared to aerobic training (P = 0.049).

The findings revealed that aerobic and resistance exercises are effective in reducing SPARC and myonectin expression in the skeletal muscle of rats fed with a high-fat diet.