Journal of Isfahan Medical School

Journal of Isfahan Medical School

Studying the effect of obesity and various exercises on the gene expression of follistatin-like factor-1 (FSTL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in adipose tissue of male Wistar rats

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors
Elyas Sangbari Toroghi 1
Sadegh Cheragh-Birjandi 2
Ali Yaghoubi 2
Mostafa Teymuri Kheravi 2
1 PhD Candidate in Exercise Physiology, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Bojnourd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bojnourd, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Bojnourd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bojnourd, Iran
10.48305/jims.v44.i866.0963
Abstract
Background: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) are inflammatory proteins, and Follistatin-like factor-1 (FSTL-1) is an anti-inflammatory protein in adipose tissue. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of obesity and exercise training on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory proteins in adipose tissue in male Wistar rats.
Methods: Thirty rats were fed a high-fat diet for eight weeks and six were fed a normal diet. After eight weeks, six rats that had become obese on a high-fat diet and six rats that had been fed a normal diet were sacrificed and compared. The remaining 24 obese rats were divided into four groups of six each, including obese control, high-intensity interval training (85 to 90% of maximal sprinting speed), resistance training (30 to 200% of body weight), and endurance training (65 to 75% of maximal sprinting speed), and they trained five sessions per week for eight weeks. Real-Time-PCR was used to measure the expression of FSTL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α genes. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc test were used to determine the difference between groups at a significance level of P < 0.05.
Findings: A significant increase in FSTL-1 gene expression was observed in the resistance, endurance, and high-intensity interval training group compared to the obese control group (P = 0.001) and a significant decrease in FSTL-1 gene expression was observed in the adipose tissue of male rats in the high-fat diet group compared to the normal diet group (P = 0.001). Also, a significant decrease in IL-6 and TNF-α gene expression was observed in the resistance, endurance, and high-intensity interval training group compared to the obese control group (P = 0.001) and a significant increase in IL-6 and TNF-α gene expression was reported in the adipose tissue of male rats in the high-fat diet group compared to the normal diet group (P = 0.001). No significant difference was observed between the training groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it seems that intense, endurance, and resistance interval training, with a significant reduction in some inflammatory factors such as IL-6 and TNF-α and a significant increase in some anti-inflammatory factors such as FSTL-1, can be an effective strategy in reducing disorders related to overweight and obesity.
Keywords
Endurance Training
Resistance Training
High intensity interval Training
IL-6
TNF-&alpha
FSTL-1
Subjects
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Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Volume 44, Issue 866
2nd Week, August
July and August 2026
Pages 963-973

  • Receive Date 16 December 2024
  • Accept Date 25 July 2026