A Comparative Analysis of Two High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Programs on PGC-1α, p53, and Citrate Synthase Protein Levels in Cardiomyocytes of Male Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Introduction: this study investigates the impact of two high-intensity interval training (hiit) programs on pgc-1α, p53, and citrate synthase (cs) proteins within cardiomyocytes of male type 2 diabetic rats, aiming to discern potential molecular mechanisms influencing cardiac health. material & methods: twenty-four male wistar rats were randomly assigned to control (nc), diabetic control (dc), diabetic with type 1 hiit (hiit-1), and diabetic with type 2 hiit (hiit-2) groups. streptozotocin (stz) induced type 2 diabetes, excluding the nc group. a four-week hiit intervention, six sessions per week, preceded the analysis of heart tissue for pgc-1α, p53, and cs protein levels. statistical analysis employed graphpad prism software version 8 and one-way anova (p < 0.05). results: both hiit-1 (p=0.004) and hiit-2 (p=0.007) groups exhibited significantly elevated cardiac pgc-1α levels compared to dc. cs levels increased notably in hiit-1 (p=0.001) and hiit-2 (p<0.001), with hiit-2 surpassing hiit-1 significantly (p=0.010). concurrently, p53 levels significantly decreased in both hiit-1 (p=0.005) and hiit-2 (p=0.001) groups compared to dc. conclusion: exercise training (hiit) positively influences cardiac metabolism, evident in pgc-1α and cs upregulation and p53 downregulation. while these findings provide valuable insights, further exploration is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. this study advances our understanding of optimizing exercise interventions for improved cardiac health in type 2 diabetes.