Effects of Aerobic Exercise and Metformin on Vascular Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetic Rats and Its Mechanism

  Objective  It is to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise and metformin on vascular inflammatory reaction in type 2 diabetic rats and explore its mechanism.

  Methods  Type 2 diabetic rates were treated with aerobic exercise, metformin and their combination therapies respectively for 8 weeks.After receiving intervention treatment, type 2 diabetic rats were tested to obtain relevant indicators such as glycolipid metabolism, aorta morphology, vascular inflammatory markers, oxidative stress, and NF-κB signal.

  Results  Serum concentrations of IL-1β, TNF-α, MCP-1 and VCAM-1 in DM group were significantly higher than those in Con group.Aerobic exercise and the combination of aerobic exercise and metformin could greatly decrease serum concentrations of IL-1β, TNF-α, MCP-1 and VCAM-1, improve glycolipid metabolism, relieve oxidative stress, down-regulate protein and mRNA express of NF-κBp65 and up-regulate express of IκBαin type 2 diabetes rats.

  Conclusions  Both aerobic exercise and the combination of aerobic exercise and metformin can effectively relieve the vascular inflammation in type 2 diabetic rats partly through the improvement of glucose metabolism, reduction of vascular oxidative stress, and inhibition of NF-ΚB signal.