Role of swimming on muscle PGC-1α, FNDC5 mRNA, and assessment of serum omentin, adropin, and irisin in high carbohydrate high fat (HCHF) diet induced obesity in rats

Background Exercise benefits a variety of organ systems in mammals, and some of the best recognized effects of exercise on muscle are mediated by the transcriptional peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1-α (PGC-1α). The regulatory effect of swimming on muscle PGC-1α, FNDC5 mRNA expression, and subsequently irisin levels is more controversial. This study aimed to investigate the role of swimming as an exercise on the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator1 alpha (PGC-1α) and Fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5) mRNA in skeletal muscle and assessment of serum omentin, adropin, irisin, and PGC-1α levels in high carbohydrate high fat (HCHF) diet induced obesity in rats. Sixty male albino rats are randomly divided into 4 groups (15 rats/group). In the first group (control), rats are fed with standard diet. The 2nd group (cont + swim) is fed on standard diet and made swimming exercise. The 3rd group of rats is fed on HCHF, whereas in the 4th group (HCHF + swim) is also fed on HCHF diet and made swimming exercise for 20 weeks. Blood glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, lipid profile, omentin, irisin, adropin, and PGC-1α were measured. Also, FNDC5 and PGC-1α are extracted and purified from muscle tissue samples measured by PCR test. Results Our results showed significant increase in glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, cholesterol, and triglycerides with significant decrease in omentin, irisin, adropin, PGC-1α, and HDL in HCHF group as compared to the control group. These results improved after exercise in all parameter in HCHF + swim group compare to HCHF group. Also, there was inverse correlation between omentin and fasting glucose and HOMA-IR in HCHF + swim group. Conclusions It concluded that swimming exercise improved all the above measured parameters in serum and tissues which might have been promising for the prevention of metabolic diseases.