Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license

Authors

• Siavash Saghari ¹
• Dariush Sheikholeslam Vatani ²

¹ .Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

² Department of Sports Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is the most prevalent endocrine disorder worldwide and is responsible for approximately 4 million deaths annually. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of eight weeks of aerobic training on certain microRNAs associated with vascular dysfunction and insulin resistance in men with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: A sample of 40 men with type 2 diabetes (mean age: 49.2 ± 2.1 years) from Kermanshah city were selected and randomly assigned into two groups: an aerobic exercise group and a control group. The aerobic exercise protocol consisted of progressively increasing intervals over eight weeks, with three sessions per week at an intensity of 60-70% of maximum heart rate. Blood samples were collected 48 hours before the first training session and 48 hours after the final training session. Plasma levels of miR-222, miR-221, and miR-21 were measured using the real-time PCR technique. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests, with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05.
Results: Eight weeks of aerobic training significantly affected the levels of miR-221 (p = 0.001), miR-222 (p = 0.001), and miR-21 (p = 0.003) in men with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, a significant difference was observed between the two groups in the mean changes of all three microRNAs, favoring the exercise group (p = 0.001 for all comparisons).
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that eight weeks of aerobic training increases angiogenic factors in men with type 2 diabetes.

Keywords

• Aerobic exercise
• Angiogenesis
• Diabetes Type 2
• MicroRNAs

Main Subjects

• Exercise Physiology