Iranian Journal of

Background: Exercise training is identified as a beneficial component of diabetes treatment plan. Angiogenesis process in diabetics can be affected by exercise activity. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of aerobic exercise on the expression of mir-126 and capillary density in the cardiac tissue of diabetic rats.

Methods: Twenty diabetic male Wistar rats (mean weight, 191.9±10.85) were divided into two groups of control (n=10) and training (n=10) and the groups were matched based on weight. 48 hours after the last training session, cardiac tissue samples were taken after an overnight fast. Mir-126 expression was used through Real Time PCR. Also, immunohistochemistry (alkaline phosphatase activity) was used to measure the cardiac muscle capillary density.

Results: Independent t-test showed that the 8-week aerobic training significantly increased the expression of mir-126(p=0.001) and capillary density (p=0.018) of cardiac tissue in the exercise group compared to the control group.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the development of angiogenesis by aerobic exercise in diabetic conditions; can be expressed as a non-drug treatments for aerobic exercise and can be used to improve heart perfusion.