The Synergistic Intervention of Submaximal Aerobic Exercise and Flaxseed Oil Supplementation on Gene Expression of Adiponectin and Omentin-1 Hormones in Visceral Adipose Tissue of Obese Male Wistar Rats

Omentin-1 is a newly discovered adipokine often secreted from visceral adipose tissue and is inversely related to obesity. Additionally, the adipocyte-specific protein adiponectin plays a significant role in the metabolic effects of obesity. This study aimed to investigate the interventions of submaximal aerobic exercise and flaxseed oil supplementation on the expression of adiponectin and omentin-1 hormone genes in obese rats. Thirty laboratory rats were divided into five equal groups: a) a control group (with normal food consumption), and four groups with high-fat food consumption including b) linseed oil supplement, c) a submaximal exercise program, d) a combination of exercise intervention and flax oil supplement, and e) sham group (high-fat diet). An aerobic training program of running with an intensity equal to 55-70% vo2max was implemented five days a week for eight weeks. The intervention of linseed oil, one gram per kilogram of the weight of obese rats, was also administered to the rats five days a week for eight weeks. The exercise program intervention increased the gene expression of adiponectin and omentin-1 hormones in visceral white adipose tissue of obese rats (P<0.05). Flaxseed oil supplementation had a significant effect on the expression of the adiponectin hormone gene (P<0.05), but there was no change in the expression of the omentin-1 gene (P>0.05). However, the simultaneous intervention of independent variables significantly affected the gene expression of adiponectin and omentin-1 hormones in rats (P<0.05). The simultaneous intervention of submaximal aerobic exercise and linseed oil supplementation has a more pronounced effect than either of the two independent variables on increasing the expression of adiponectin and omentin-1 genes, and it likely leads to the control of body weight in obese rats.