Background: Prescription of sports activity is an effective strategy for treating metabolic disorders, including obesity. The study aimed to determine the effect of 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on PLIN5 and UCP3 gene expressions in skeletal muscle of obese rats.
Methods: Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups of control receiving standard diet (CSD=20) and those with high-fat diet (HFD=30) for obesity induction (10 weeks). Ten rats from each group were selected to evaluate obesity (target weight: 350±20 g and serum triglyceride). The rest of high-fat diet group were randomly divided
into 2 subgroups of obese control (OC=10) and HIIT high-fat diet (HIITHFD=10) and 10 in control standard diet rats were applied as the control standard diet in exercise phase. The HIIT protocol on the treadmill included 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week (10-degree incline) with 20 bouts (2 minutes maximum speed), and 1-minute active recovery. PLIN5 and
UCP3 gene expressions in the gastrocnemius muscle were measured by real time-PCR and plasma triglycerides by ELISA.
Results: The triglyceride (TG) level was higher in CSD compared to the HFD group. The weight, TG level and PLIN5, and UCP3 gene expressions significantly reduced in the experimental group compared to the CSD and OC groups.
Conclusion: The values of energy intake, body weight, and PLIN5 and UCP3 gene expressions denoted to activated thermogenesis and fatty oxidation. Physical activity resulted in weight loss, and decreased gene expression to deal with this trend.