Effect of physical training on liver expression of activin A and follistatin in a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease model in rats

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by fat accumulation in the liver and is associated with obesity and insulin resistance. Activin A is a member of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF)-β superfamily and inhibits hepatocyte growth. Follistatin antagonizes the biological actions of activin. Exercise is an important therapeutic strategy to reduce the metabolic effects of obesity. We evaluated the pattern of activin A and follistatin liver expression in obese rats subjected to swimming exercise. Control rats (C) and high-fat (HF) diet-fed rats were randomly assigned to a swimming training group (C-Swim and HF-Swim) or a sedentary group (C-Sed and HF-Sed). Activin βA subunit mRNA expression was significantly higher in HF-Swim than in HF-Sed rats. Follistatin mRNA expression was significantly lower in C-Swim and HF-Swim than in either C-Sed or HF-Sed animals. There was no evidence of steatosis or inflammation in C rats. In contrast, in HF animals the severity of steatosis ranged from grade 1 to grade 3. The extent of liver parenchyma damage was less in HF-Swim animals, with the severity of steatosis ranging from grade 0 to grade 1. These data showed that exercise may reduce the deleterious effects of a high-fat diet on the liver, suggesting that the local expression of activin-follistatin may be involved.

Effects of a combination of puerarin, baicalin and berberine on the expression of proliferator-activated receptor-γ and insulin receptor in a rat model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

“…The high-fat diet model has been widely used in previous NAFLD studies (39,40). The histological results of the present study observed NAFLD features in the model rats, indicating that an NAFLD model was successfully generated.…”

Comparison of whole egg v. egg white ingestion during 12 weeks of resistance training on skeletal muscle regulatory markers in resistance-trained men

“…In contrast to MSTN, FLST is recognised as an anabolic myokine that blocks the MSTN receptor, subsequently facilitating skeletal muscle hypertrophy (1) . ACVA, a homodimeric glycoprotein produced by the decidua, placenta and fetal membranes, is involved in cellular differentiation, proliferation, remodelling and morphogenesis (31) . FGF-2 is a heparin-binding protein that regulates cellular functions, including muscle regeneration, maintenance and skeletal muscle growth by increasing the proliferation of satellite cells (32) .…”

Resveratrol improves alcoholic fatty liver disease by downregulating HIF-1α expression and mitochondrial ROS production

“…Paraformaldehyde-fixed liver sections (5 μm) were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. A semiquantitative histological evaluation [ 18 ] was carried out by two experienced pathologist blinded to the treatment groups to assess the extent of steatosis under light microscope independently (Olympus, Olympus LX70, Japan). The grading ranged 0–3 where 0 = less than 5% of the parenchyma was involved, 1 = 5 to 33%, 2 = 34 to 66%, 3 = more than 66%.…”