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Background and Objectives: Aerobic training and berberine chloride include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. In the current study, simultaneous effects of aerobic training and berberine chloride on plasma glucose, IL-6 and TNF-α were investigated in type 1 diabetic male Wistar rats.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 64 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups
(n=8), including healthy control, diabetic control, diabetic-berberine (15 and 30 mg/kg), diabetic-training, diabetic-training-berberine (15 and 30 mg/kg) and health-trained. Diabetes was induced using a single intraperitoneal injection (IP) of streptozotocin (STZ) of 60 mg/kg body weight (BW). The training schedule included running on a treadmill for six weeks, five sessions a week and daily intakes of berberine using gavage. The IL-6 and TNF-α values were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.
Results: Results showed that the glucose concentration in diabetic groups with aerobic training and intake of berberine simultaneously was significantly lower than that in the diabetic control group (P<0.05). Plasma IL-6 in the diabetic control group significantly increased, compared to that in the normal control group (P<0.05). In diabetic groups that received the two treatments simultaneously, IL-6 significantly increased, compared to that in the diabetic control group (P<0.05). The quantity of TNF-α in the diabetic control group was significantly higher than that in the normal control group (P<0.05). The plasma level of TNF-α significantly decreased in all treatment groups, compared to that in the diabetic control group (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Combined effects of berberine chloride use and aerobic training on blood glucose, IL-6 and TNF- α are more evident than their individual effects. Furthermore, a dose of 30 mg/kg of berberine chloride included a greater effect on the highlighted blood parameters, compared to that a dose of 15 mg/kg of berberine chloride did.

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Background and Objectives: Apoptosis plays a key role in pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases due to loss of terminally differentiated cardiac myocytes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate effects of combined dietary restriction and aerobic training on indices of myocardial apoptosis in male rats.
Materials and Methods: In this study, 32 three-month-old male rats were randomly divided into four major groups: 1) sedentary control (SED), 2)exercise training (EX), 3)diet restriction (DR) and 4)exercise training and diet restriction (EX+DR). All groups participated in the study for three months. Animals in SED and EX groups were fed ad libitum, while animals in DR and EX+DR groups were given access to 50% of the control animal diets. Animals in EX and EX+DR groups were involved in a three-month aerobic training program. Rat hearts were removed 48 h after the last training session. The Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 gene expressions were analyzed using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA method.
Results: Results showed that the Bax gene expression and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were significantly lower in trained rats than untrained rats (P<0.05). Furthermore, Bcl-2 gene expression was significantly higher in EX+DR group than other groups (P<0.05). However, exercise training and dietary restriction did not affect caspase-3 gene expression (P>0.05). 
Conclusions: Overall, it seems that combination of dietary restriction and exercise training results in a significant increase in anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 gene expression. However, further studies are needed to show effects of combined dietary restriction and exercise training on apoptosis.

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Background and Objectives: Muscular atrophy is one of the indicators of uncontrolled diabetes. The aim of the current study was to investigate effects of eight weeks of resistance training (RT) on myostatin gene expression in soleus muscles and insulin resistance in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.
Materials and Methods: In general, 14 Wistar male rats weighing 200–250 g and aging 8–10 weeks were selected for the study. Then, a newly prepared diabetic STZ solution was intraperitoneally injected to the rats. Animals were randomly divided into two groups of controls and resistance training diabetes. The resistance training protocol was carried out at ten repetitions as climbing up the ladder with 100% of the body weight for eight weeks, five days a week. Nearly 48 h after the last training session, soleus muscles of the rats were removed and the myostatin gene expression was assessed. Statistical data analysis was carried out using independent t-test at a significance level of P <0.05.
Results: Results of the independent t-test showed that the mean expression rate of myostatin protein genes in rat soleus muscles of the resistance training group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P = 0.013). Furthermore, levels of glucose, insulin and insulin resistance were significantly lower in resistance training group, compared to those in control group (P-values of 0.001, 0.005 and 0.001, respectively). A significantly positive correlation was seen between the mean expression of myostatin protein gene and the blood glucose (P = 0.012, r = 0.539), as well as the expression of myostatin protein gene and the insulin resistance (P = 0.015, r = 0.525).
Conclusions: Results of this study indicated that resistance training decreased myostatin expression and could improve insulin resistance in rats with type 2 diabetes. Hence, targeting myostatin might be a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

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Background and Objectives: Exercise and nutrition are two effective factors in controlling diabetes-induced metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to assess effects of aloe vera and swimming training on lipid profile of the diabetic rats.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 72 diabetic rats were selected and divided into nine groups of eight rats, including 1) four weeks of aloe vera consumption (FAV), 2) six weeks of aloe vera consumption (SAV), 3) four weeks of swimming (FS), 4) six weeks of swimming (SS), 5) four weeks of aloe vera consumption with swimming (FAVS), 6) six weeks of aloe vera consumption with swimming (SAVS), 7) Week-1 diabetic control (DC), 8) Week-4 diabetic control (FDC), and 9) Week-6 diabetic control (SDC). Groups 1, 2, 5 and 6 received 100 mg kg^-1 of aloe vera daily. Furthermore, Groups 3 and 5 swam for four weeks and Groups 4 and 6 for six weeks, five sessions per week and 30 minutes each session. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests (P≤0.05).
Results: Results showed that training, aloe vera and aloe vera with training significantly decreased levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) (P≤0.05); four and six weeks of swimming trainings decreased TG, TC, LDL and VLDL (P≤0.05); and six weeks of aloe vera consumption decreased TG, TC, LDL and VLDL (P≤0.05).
Conclusions: Four and six weeks of aloe vera consumption and swimming training include interactive lipid lowering effects in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

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Background and Objectives: Curcumin and exercise training are suggested to improve hepatic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of two weeks of swimming training and curcumin supplementation on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) gene expressions following ethanol consumption in Wistar male rats.
Materials and Methods: Totally, 32 Wistar male rats were divided into four equal groups, including control, exercise, curcumin and curcumin-exercise groups. Ethanol was gavaged to all groups (g kg^-1) for four days. Then, the renunciation period (four days) started. The exercise period included two weeks, each week included five sessions of exhaustive swimming. Curcumin supplementation (50 mg kg^-1) was used with trainings.
Results: Curcumin supplementation demonstrated significant decreases in expression of PDGF-BB (P = 0.025) and TGF-β1 (P = 0.033) genes. In exercise groups, significant decreases were seen in expression of PDGF-BB (P = 0.007) and TGF-β1 (P = 0.001) genes. Interaction of exercise and curcumin resulted in significant decreases in expression of PDGF-BB (P = 0.040) and TGF-β1 (P = 0.013) genes.
Conclusions: In conclusion, expression decreases in PDGF-BB and TGF-β1 genes suggest that exercise and curcumin consumption can protect hepatic tissues through controlling hepatic satellite cell (HSC) activation, preventing negative effects of ethanol.