Effects of moderate exercise training and detraining on diabetic peripheral neuropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Context Exercise training programs have been shown to have prophylactic effects on diabetes-associated complications in murine models. Objective The present study aimed to elucidate the effect of moderate exercise training for 4 weeks and detraining for 2 weeks on diabetic peripheral neuropathy in type 1 diabetic rat model. Materials and methods Type 1 diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptzotocin (45 mg/kg). Exercise training lasted for 4 weeks in trained group, whereas the detrained group stopped training for 2 weeks after training for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, tail flick test latency, body weight, serum glucose, inflammatory markers, and nerve growth factor levels were measured, and the same was done in detrained diabetic rats after 2 weeks of detraining. Results Moderate exercise training for 4 weeks increased significantly tail flick latency and nerve growth factor levels, whereas the inflammatory markers were significantly improved compared with diabetic sedentary rats. Interestingly, the prophylactic effects of exercise training were maintained in the detrained rats after 2 weeks of detraining. Conclusion Our results explore the prophylactic mechanisms underlying the exercise training in diabetic peripheral neuropathy rat model and give further insights into the maintained prophylactic effects that lasted after 2 weeks of detraining.