Objective: To evaluate the effects of metformin, aerobic exercise and the combined intervention of metformin and aerobic exercise on vascular oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic rats.
Methods: High-fat diet and low-dose STZ were used to induce type 2 diabetes model, and the rats were divided into 5 groups: normal control group (NC), diabetic control group (DC), diabetic exercise group (DS), and diabetic metformin intervention group ( DM) and diabetic metformin + exercise combined intervention group (DMS). After 8 weeks of intervention, HE staining pathological examination, Western blotting and ELISA were used to detect the vascular morphology, tissue protein expression and serum indexes of rats.
Results: The fasting blood glucose and insulin of the DS, DM and DMS groups were decreased to varying degrees. Compared with the DC group, the expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 in the blood vessels of the DS, DM and DMS groups increased, and the protein expression of NOX4 decreased. The activity of vascular SOD was increased in the DMS group, while the MDA was decreased in the DM and DMS groups. The serum VCAM-1 and TNF-α concentrations in the DS, DM and DMS groups were decreased to varying degrees.
Conclusion: Metformin and aerobic exercise may reduce vascular oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic rats by regulating the balance of Nrf2 and NOX4.