The Effect of Eight Weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training with L-Cysteine Consumption on CRP and TNF-α in Heart Tissue of Young Rats with Type 2 Diabetes

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of 8-weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with L-cysteine consumption on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) of heart tissue in young rats with type 2 diabetes. Methods: The statistical population of the present study consisted of young (4 months) rats with type 2 diabetes. Ten rats were selected as a healthy group, and 40 rats became diabetic. Diabetic rats were randomly divided into four groups: diabetes control, diabetics with training, diabetics with supplements, and diabetics with training+supplement. Moreover, high-intensity interval exercises were performed 3 days a week for 8 weeks, and 500 micromoles of L-cysteine were administered daily. Results: The training+supplement group had significantly higher TNF-α levels compared to the diabetic control group (P=0.002). The diabetic control group (P=0.001) and training group (P=0.001) had higher TNF-α levels compared to the healthy control. The supplement group had significantly less TNF-α compared to the diabetic control group (P=0.003), while the supplement group (P=0.019) and the training+supplement group (P=0.013) had lower TNF-α levels compared to the training group. Moreover, the training+supplement group had lower CRP levels compared to the diabetic control group (P=0.001), while the diabetic control (P=0.001), exercise (P=0.002), and supplement group (P=0.031) had higher CRP levels compared to the healthy control. Moreover, the training group (P=0.038) and the supplement group (P=0.002) had lower CRP compared to the diabetic control group. Furthermore, the training+supplement group had a lower CRP level compared to the training group (P=0.03). Conclusion: HIIT along with the L-cysteine consumption reduced TNF-α and CRP in the heart tissue of diabetic rats.