The Effect of Two Types of Interval and Continuous Training on Apolipoprotein M, TNF-α and IL-6 of Visceral Fat in Rats Fed with a High-Fat Diet

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two types of interval and continuous training on apolipoprotein M, TNF-α and IL-6 of visceral fat in rats fed a high-fat diet. Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups including standard diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), high-fat diet with moderate intensity continuous exercise (HFD+MICT), high-fat diet with high intensity interval training (HFD+HIIT). The HIIT and MICT groups performed their group specific training for 8 weeks, 5 sessions per week. The HIIT protocol consisted of 6 bouts of 4-minute exercise at 85-90 of the maximum speed, which had a 2-minute active rest, and the MICT protocol performed at 65-70 of the maximum speed. Protein levels of apolipoprotein M, TNF-α and IL-6 in visceral fat were measured using western blot method. Results: Eight weeks of HFD increased the protein levels of apolipoprotein M, TNF-α, and IL-6 in visceral fat compared to the ND group (P< 0.05). In contrast, both HIIT and MICT protocols led to a significant reduction of visceral fat IL-6 compared to the HFD group (P= 0.001). Also, MICT caused a significant decrease protein levels apolipoprotein M compared to the HFD group (P= 0.04). However, both exercise protocols had no significant effect on TNF-α (P< 0.05). Also, there was no significant difference between training groups (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Exercise training improves adipose tissue inflammatory markers in high-fat diet-fed rats, and moderate-intensity continuous training may be a more appropriate approach. © 2025 Iranian Journal of Diabetes and Metabolism and Tehran University of Medical Sciences.