Elham Mehrpuya - Department of Human sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran.
Saeed Keshavarz - Sports Medicine Research Center, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran.
Ebrahim Banitalebi - Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Shahrekord, Shahrekord, Iran.
Hasan Naghizadeh - Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Humanities and Social, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran.
Javad Ramezani - Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Type ۲ diabetic patients have an abnormally high rate of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases. Given the adverse impact of diabetes on mitochondrial biogenesis in heart cells and the role of exercise on mitochondrial biogenesis signaling, this study investigated the effect of eight weeks of aerobic exercise on PGC-۱a and SIRT۱ gene expression in the myocardium of diabetic male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted on ۲۴ adult male Wistar rats (eight weeks old and weighing ۲۷۸.۲۶±۱۸.۰۶g), which were randomly assigned to three groups of healthy control (n=۸), diabetic control (n=۸), and diabetes+aerobic exercise (n=۸). The exercise protocol consisted of eight weeks of exercise, three sessions a week, starting with ۱۰ minutes of running at a speed of ۱۰m/s in the first week and ultimately reaching ۴۰ minutes of running at a speed of ۱۸m/s in the eighth week. The changes were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc test. Results: Significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of body mass (P=۰.۰۰۰۱), fasting glucose (P=۰.۰۰۴), serum insulin (P=۰.۰۲۳), and myocardial Ppargc- ۱α expression (P=۰.۰۳۱). The post hoc test represented a notable weight decrease in the diabetic control group (P=۰.۰۰۱) and the diabetic exercise group (P=۰.۰۰۱) compared to the healthy control group. The results also showed a significant increase in the glucose level of the diabetic control group compared to the healthy control group (P=۰.۰۰۸) and a notable decrease in the diabetic exercise group’s glucose level in comparison with the diabetic control group (P=۰.۰۰۱). A significant decrease was also observed in the insulin level of the diabetic exercise group compared to the diabetic control group (P=۰.۰۳۴). The results of the post hoc test for Ppargc-۱α expression changes showed significantly increased myocardial Ppargc-۱α expression in the diabetic exercise group compared to the diabetic control group (P=۰.۰۰۹). No significant change was detected in the expression of SIRT۱ (P=۰.۰۷۵). Conclusion: The findings suggest that exercise positively affects insulin resistance and weight changes by regulating genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis.

aerobic exercise, type ۲ diabetes, mitochondrial biogenesis, insulin resistance