Introduction: One of the most important influential factors in the process of human physiological adaptations is angiogenesis; which helps to repair and grow body tissues by continuously creating blood vessels through angiopoietin activity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of three methods of moderate-intensity continuous, high-intensity continuous, and high-intensity intermittent training on the angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 genes expression in the subcutaneous fat tissue of male Wistar rats.
Methods: For this purpose, 32 male Wistar rats with an average weight of 236.3±34.5 grams and age of 8 weeks were randomly divided into four groups of intense intermittent running aerobic training (including four intense intervals with an intensity of 90% to 100% of VO2max and four low-intensity intervals at 50% to 60% of VO2max in a total time of 38 minutes), moderate-intensity continuous running aerobic training (including running at 65% of VO2max in a total time of 47 minutes), high intensity continuous running aerobic training (including running at 65% of VO2max in a total time of 40 minutes with an incremental incline of the treadmill with a 2% of incline every two weeks), and Control. Twenty-four hours after the last training session, after complete anesthesia, subcutaneous fat tissue samplings of the abdomen were done. The gene expression levels of angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 in subcutaneous fat tissue were measured by the RT-PCR method. Due to the non-normal distribution of data in some groups, Kruskal-Wallis statistical method was used.
Results: The results showed that the angiopoietin-1 gene expression increased in all three training groups compared with the control group, which was significant in the moderate-intensity continuous group. Also, the angiopoietin-2 expression increased in all three groups compared with the control group, which was significant in the high-intensity continuous group.
 Conclusion: In general, continuous training seems to have a positive effect on the increase of angiopoietin-1 and -2 expression in subcutaneous fat tissue.