Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2021, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (11): 1723-1727.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.3074

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of moderate treadmill exercise on alpha-smooth muscle actin and type IV collagen in the liver of type 2 diabetic rats

Hu Sheng1, Yuan Haiyan2, Hu Meng1, Jin Shanhu3   

  1. 1Health Science College, 2Sports Science and Technology College, 3Sports Rehabilitation Research Center, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China
  • Received:2020-02-11 Revised:2020-02-20 Accepted:2020-03-30 Online:2021-04-18 Published:2020-12-21
  • Contact: Hu Sheng, Health Science College, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China
  • About author:Hu Sheng, MD, Master’s supervisor, Professor, Health Science College, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China
  • Supported by:
    the National Key Research and Development Project of China, No. 2019YFF0301703 (to HS [project participant])

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Diabetes-induced liver damage is easy to be ignored in the early stage. Exercise therapy can increase the sensitivity of insulin, which is an important means of prevention and treatment of diabetes.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of moderate intensity exercise intervention on liver injury during the occurrence of diabetes mellitus.
METHODS: The experimental protocol was approved by the Laboratory Animal Care Ethics Committee of Wuhan Sports University. Thirty SPF Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: normal control group, diabetic control group and diabetic exercise intervention group. Normal control group was fed with normal diet, with no exercise. Diabetes control group was fed with high sugar and high fat diet for 8 weeks, followed by a small dose of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally, with o exercise. Diabetes exercise intervention group was fed and injected in the same way as diabetes control group, and at the same time carried out moderate intensity treadmill training. After 7 days of streptozotocin injection, hematoxylin-eosin and Masson staining were used to observe the cell morphology, the expression of α-smooth muscle actin was observed by immunohistochemistry, and orbital blood samples were collected to detect the concentration of serum type IV collagen using ELISA.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the normal control group, hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the structure of liver lobule in the diabetic control group was disordered, a large number of fat vacuoles were seen, and the bile duct in the portal area was obviously proliferated; Masson staining that there were showed fat vacuoles, the structure of liver lobule was seriously damaged, and blue stained collagen fibers were seen in the portal area, and light blue stained collagen fibers were seen between liver cells. The above pathological changes were alleviated in the diabetic exercise intervention group, and the fatty degeneration of liver cells was obviously reduced. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin in the diabetic control group and diabetic exercise intervention group was significantly higher than that in the normal control group (P < 0.05), and that in the diabetic exercise intervention group was significantly lower than that in the diabetic control group (P < 0.05). The level of type IV collagen in the diabetic exercise intervention group was significantly lower than that in the diabetic control group (P < 0.05), to slow down the progress of fibrosis. To conclude, moderate intensity exercise has a good effect on streptozotocin induced liver fibrosis in diabetic rats.


Key words: diabetes, exercise, moderate intensity, type IV collagen, α-smooth muscle actin, liver, fibrosis, tissue engineering 

CLC Number: