The effect of eight weeks of high-intensity interval training on the expression of mir-126, EMAP-II, and levels of TGF-β in the heart tissue of young rats with type 2 diabetes

Diabetes affects some cardiac angiogenic and antiangiogenic markers. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on mir-126, endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide II (EMAP-II), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in young rats with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

The statistical population of this experimental study included young rats (8 weeks old) with T2D. In this research, 24 young rats (8 weeks old) were divided into healthy+HIIT, diabetic+HIIT, and healthy control groups. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method was used to measure TGF-β and the real-time polymerase chain reaction for mir-126 and EMAP-II. A one-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference post hoc test were used to compare the two groups.

The results showed diabetes+HIIT and healthy+HIIT had more mir-126 compared to healthy control (P=0.001). Healthy+HIIT, in comparison to diabetes+HIIT, had higher mir-126 expression (P=0.001). In addition, diabetes+HIIT, compared to the healthy control, had a higher EMAP-II expression (P=0.006). On the other hand, healthy+HIIT had lower EMAP-II in comparison to healthy control (P=0.001). Healthy+HIIT had a lower EMAP-II compared to diabetes+HIIT (P=0.001). Diabetes+HIIT, in comparison to the healthy control, had higher TGF-β levels (P=0.005). However, healthy+HIIT, compared to healthy control, had a lower expression of TGF-β (P=0.001). Finally, the healthy+HIIT groups, compared to the diabetes+HIIT group, had a lower TGF-β expression (P=0.001).

Interval exercise could increase angiogenesis in diabetic samples through the increase of mir-126 and the reduction of TGF-β1 and EMAP-II.