the effect of a probiotic mixture combined with high-intensity interval training on the intestinal expression of fxr and ppar-γ genes in diabetic rats

This study investigated the effects of high-intensity interval training (hiit) and a multi-strain probiotic mixture, on the intestinal expression of fxr and ppar-γ in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (t2dm). forty male wistar rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n=8): healthy control (hc), diabetic control (dc), diabetic+hiit (dh), diabetic+probiotic (dp), and diabetic+hiit+probiotic (dhp). t2dm was induced via a single intraperitoneal injection of nicotinamide (95 mg/kg) followed by streptozotocin (stz, 55 mg/kg). the hiit protocol was performed on a rodent treadmill for 8 weeks (5 sessions/week). the probiotic mixture (lactobacillus rhamnosus gg, lactobacillus casei, lactobacillus reuteri; 1×10¹⁰ cfu/ml each) was administered daily via oral gavage. diabetes induction significantly downregulated the intestinal expression of both fxr and ppar-γ compared to healthy controls (p<0.001). hiit and probiotic interventions, individually, significantly increased the expression of both nuclear receptors compared to the diabetic control group (p<0.001). notably, the combined hiit and probiotic intervention (dhp) produced the highest expression levels of fxr and ppar-γ, which were significantly greater than either intervention alone (p<0.01) and restored fxr expression to levels comparable to healthy controls. both hiit and multi-strain probiotic supplementation effectively upregulate the intestinal expression of fxr and ppar-γ in diabetic rats, with the combination exerting a synergistic effect. these findings identify a novel mechanism by which lifestyle interventions may restore intestinal metabolic function and inter-organ communication in t2dm, highlighting the therapeutic potential of targeting the gut through combined exercise and probiotic strategies.