Evaluation of the effect of exercise on the expression of IL-1β and SFRP5 genes in the adipose tissue of obese male Wistar rats

Background and Aim: Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and Secreted Frizzled-related Protein 5 (SFRP5) are respectively inflammatory and anti-inflammatory proteins in adipose tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of obesity and subsequent exercise on the expression of these inflammatory and anti-inflammatory genes in the adipose tissue of male rats. Methods: In this study, 30 male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for eight weeks, while six others were fed a normal diet (ND). After this period, six obese rats and six normal diet rats were sacrificed for comparison. Then, 24 obese rats were randomly assigned into four groups (n=6 per group): obese control (OC), resistance training (RT), endurance training (ET), and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). The rats underwent 8 weeks of exercise training, 5 sessions per week. Gene expression of IL-1β and SFRP5 was measured using Real-Time PCR. Results: IL-1β gene expression significantly decreased in the RT, ET, and HIIT groups compared to the obese control group (P<0.001). Additionally, IL-1β expression was significantly higher in the adipose tissue of rats fed the high-fat diet compared to those on a normal diet (P<0.001). Furthermore, SFRP5 gene expression was significantly higher in the RT, ET, and HIIT groups compared to the obese control group (P<0.001), while it significantly decreased in the high-fat diet group compared to the normal diet group (P<0.001). No significant difference was observed between the exercise groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that HIIT, endurance, and resistance training significantly reduce the expression of the pro-inflammatory gene IL-1β and increase the expression of the anti-inflammatory gene SFRP5 in adipose tissue. These exercise modalities may thus offer an effective strategy to mitigate obesity-related disorders.