Effects of aerobic exercise on endothelial progenitor cells function and the Akt/eNOS signaling pathway in type 2 diabetic rats
10.3760/cma.j.cn421666-20250122-00069
- VernacularTitle:有氧运动对2型糖尿病大鼠内皮祖细胞功能及Akt/eNOS信号通路的影响
- Author:
Jintao WU
1
;
Yong SUN
;
Yingzi LIANG
;
Xiaozhe LIU
Author Information
1. 信阳农林学院体育学院，信阳 464000
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Aerobic exercise;
Type 2 diabetes;
Endothelial progenitor cells;
Lumen formation;
Signaling pathways
- From:
Chinese Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
2025;47(7):595-600
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate any effect of aerobic exercise on the functioning of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and on the Akt/eNOS signaling pathway in type 2 diabetes.Methods:Forty-five 6-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats free of specific pathogens were randomly divided into a normal control group, a diabetic model group and an exercise group. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was induced in the model and exercise groups by feeding a high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection. After successful modeling, the exercise group underwent 8 weeks of non-weight-bearing swimming training after which blood was collected from their abdominal aortas to measure EPCs, serum nitric oxide and the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Bone marrow-derived EPCs were isolated from the rats′ femurs and tibias for in vitro culture. The cells′ tube formation capacity was assessed using Matrigel assays, while the expression of protein kinase B (Akt) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were determined using western blotting.Results:Compared with the normal group, the model group exhibited significantly reduced counts of EPCs in their peripheral blood. Serum NO and VEGF were also significantly lower, on average, and tube formation capacity was significantly impaired. p-Akt and p-eNOS protein expression were significantly downregulated. In contrast, the exercise group showed significantly increased EPC counts, elevated serum NO and VEGF levels, improved tube formation, and upregulated p-Akt and p-eNOS expression compared with the model group.Conclusions:Aerobic exercise improves EPC functioning in diabetic rats, and its mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the Akt/eNOS signaling pathway.
