Effects of Exercises on IL-6 and GLUT4 Expression in Diabetic Rats

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common metabolic disorders worldwide. Empirical evidence has shown exercise to be of value in ameliorating symptoms of diabetes, but the underlying molecular mechanisms involved have not been well-studied. Aim: To evaluate the effects of continuous and interval exercises on blood glucose and insulin levels and on IL-6 and GLUT4 expression in diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Old Wistar rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were randomly divided into three groups; namely, the patient (non-exercise control) group, the interval exercise group, and the continuous exercise group. The blood insulin level was measured using a specific ELISA kit, whereas the blood glucose level was determined with an AutoAnalyzer apparatus. Expression of the IL-6 and GLUT4 genes in skeletal muscle was determined using real-time PCR. All data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The expression of IL-6 and GLUT4 was significantly decreased in skeletal muscle of the diabetic rats (p < 0.001). Continuous (9.97-fold; p = 0.000) and interval (7.11-fold; p = 0.000) exercises significantly increased the expression of IL-6 relative to that in the animals of the patient group. Furthermore, continuous (9.36-fold; p = 0.000) and interval (7.65-fold; p = 0.001) exercises also significantly increased the expression of GLUT4 relative to that of the patient group. Both types of exercise training were associated with a significant decrease in the blood glucose and insulin levels compared with the levels in the patient group (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Diabetes is significantly associated with IL-6 and GLUT4 downregulation, but this can be reversed through continuous and interval exercises, which also help to lower the blood glucose and insulin levels significantly.