The Effect of Aerobic Training on the Expression of Genes Involved in Adipogenesis in Adipose Tissue of Rat Fed with High-Fat Diet

Objectives: Adipogenesis is the conversion of fat precursor cells into mature fat cells, which leads to fat accumulation and, as a result, weight gain and obesity. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of aerobic training followed by twelve weeks of high-fat diet on the expression of REBC, KLF4, and PPARγ genes in visceral adipose tissue of male Wistar rats.
Methods: Twenty-eight male Wistar rats, eight weeks old and weighing 220 ± 20 g, were randomly divided into two groups: standard diet (n = 7) and high-fat diet (n = 21). After 12 weeks of high-fat diet and ensuring the development of obesity by assessing body composition indices, rats fed the high-fat diet were randomly divided into three groups: control + high-fat diet, aerobic training + high-fat diet, and aerobic training + standard diet. The aerobic training program was performed for eight weeks, five sessions per week, based on the principle of progressive overload. 48 hours after the last training session, the expression of REBC, KLF4, and PPARγ genes was measured in visceral adipose tissue by Real-time PCR. One-way analysis of variance with Tukey's post hoc test was used for statistical analysis of data at a significance level of P < 0.05.
Results: The results showed that the expression of REBC, KLF4 and PPARγ genes was significantly higher in the control + high-fat diet group than in the control + standard diet group (P < 0.05). However, in the aerobic training + high-fat diet and aerobic training + standard diet groups, the expression of the genes was significantly reduced compared to the control + high-fat diet group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The results showed that ‌ Aerobic training prevents fat accumulation in the body and, consequently, the occurrence of obesity and related diseases by reducing the expression of adipogenesis-stimulating genes.