No abstract

Background/Objective: One of the problems associated with aging is the development of apoptosis in different tissues. There is evidence that physical activity and herbal remedies can be useful. This study aimed to determine the effect of swimming training (SW) alone or combined with garlic extract on renal and hepatic cells apoptosis, as wellas on the liver and kidney function biomarkers in old rats. Methods: A total of 35 old rats (aged 40-50 weeks) were randomly divided into 5 groups including control, saline (S), exercise training (ET), garlic (G) and exercise training+ garlic (ET. G) groups. Exercise was started for 5 min/day and then gradually extended to 60 min/day and the G and E+G groups received 1 mL/kg of this mixture by gavage. Twenty-four hours after completion of 8 weeks training, liver, kidney and blood samples were collected for histopathological examinations, liver and kidney functions, oxidative stress and apoptosis biomarkers. Results: The tissue sections of the SW exercise, control and saline groups showed some mild histopathological changes in liver and kidney, while SW supplemented with garlic prevented these damages. The SW alone or supplemented with garlic significantly increased the Bcl-2 value and declined the BAX level in both liver and kidney (p<0.05). The activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver and kidney of the control and saline groups were lower than those in E, G and G+E groups, while a significant increase for malondialdehyde (MDA) value was found in the control and saline groups. Furthermore, the E+G significantly declined the activity of hepatic (ALT, AST and ALP) and renal damage (uric acid, urea and creatinine) biomarkers compared to the control and saline groups (p<0.05). Discussion: Swimming exercise supplemented with garlic extract not only improves antioxidant capacity but also declines oxidative damages and apoptosis through reducing Bax levels and enhancing Bcl-2 value.

Background and objectives: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and fetuin A are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, regular physical activity has an important role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to investigate effect of moderate aerobic exercise on serum levels of FGF21 and fetuin A in women with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This was a semi-experimental study with a pretestposttest design. The study was performed on 28 women with type 2 diabetes aged 40-50 years (mean weight: 70.58 ± 2.11) who were randomly divided into an exercise group (n=14) and a control group (n=14). The training intervention consisted of eight weeks of moderate aerobic exercise at 60-70% of maximum heart rate, five times a week. Serum levels of FGF21, fetuin A and some metabolic parameters were evaluated before the first session and 48 hours after the last session. All statistical analyses were performed in SPSS (version 24) using repeated measures ANOVA and at significance of 0.05. Results: The eight-week aerobic training intervention caused a significant increase in FGF21 and insulin sensitivity as well as a significant decrease in fetuin A, fasting blood sugar and HbA1c (P=0.001). Conclusion: As a complementary therapy, regular aerobic exercise can be beneficial for type 2 diabetes patients in improving some metabolic parameters as well as FGF21 and fetuin A levels.

No abstract

No abstract