Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for cardiovascular complications, including diabetic cardiomyopathy, characterized by increased cardiac apoptosis and wall stress. Aerobic training is a crucial lifestyle intervention for prevention and management. This study investigated the effects of eight weeks of progressive aerobic training on cardiac apoptosis biomarkers (sFas, FasL, Caspase 8, Bcl-2) and cardiac wall stress (NT-proBNP) in diabetic and healthy male Wistar rats. Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, diabetic control, 8-week aerobic, and 8-week diabetic aerobic. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of Streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). Aerobic training involved progressive treadmill running (3 sessions/week) for 8 weeks. Heart tissue levels of sFas, FasL, Caspase 8, Bcl-2, and NT-proBNP were measured by ELISA. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc tests. Diabetes induction significantly elevated sFas, FasL, Caspase-8, and NT-proBNP levels compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05). Conversely, eight weeks of aerobic training in both healthy and diabetic rats significantly decreased these apoptotic biomarkers, the sFas/FasL ratio, and NT-proBNP compared to their respective sedentary counterparts (P < 0.01). Bcl-2 levels showed no significant changes across any of the groups. Eight weeks of progressive aerobic training effectively mitigates diabetes-induced cardiac apoptosis and wall stress by modulating key apoptotic pathways in male rats. These findings highlight the significant potential of sustained aerobic exercise as a crucial non-pharmacological strategy in preventing and managing diabetic cardiomyopathy.