The Effect of Interval and Continued Trainings with Crocin on Apoptotic Markers in the Heart Tissue of High-Fat Diet and Streptozotocin Induced Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Diabetes is a metabolic disease that has a close relationship with increased physical disabilities and muscle tissue damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of interval and continued trainings with crocin consumption on Bcl-2, Bax and P53 gene expression of heart tissue in high-fat diet- and streptozotocin induced type 2 diabetic rats.

In this experimental study, 49 adult high-fat diet- and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats were selected and randomly assigned to 7 groups (1) high intensity interval training (HIIT) (2) low intensity continued training (LICT) (3) HIIT with crocin consumption, (4) LICT with crocin consumption, (5) crocin consumption, (6) sham and (7) control. HIIT and LICT groups ran the treadmill for eight weeks, three sessions per week with intensity 80- 85 and 50- 55 percent of maximum running speed, respectively, and crocin consumption groups received crocin 25 mg/kg per week for eight weeks. To analyze the research findings, paired sample t-test, two- way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test were used (p≤0.05).

Eight weeks of HIIT and LICT had significant effect on reduction of Bax gene expression in heart tissue of diabetic rats (p≤0.05), and HIIT had significant effect on reduction of P53 gene expression in heart tissue of diabetic rats (p≤0.05), crocin consumption had significant effect on reduction of P53 gene expression in heart tissue of diabetic rats (p≤0.05), endurance training with crocin consumption had interaction effect on increase of Bcl-2 gene expression and reduction of P53 gene expression in heart tissue of diabetic rats (p≤0.05).

It seems that interval and continued with crocin consumption in high- fat diet- and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats have interaction anti-apoptotic effects.