The the role of eight weeks of combined high-intensity interval training in modulating intrahepatic FNDC5 protein and irisin levels in male rats with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Background: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is one of the prevalent metabolic diseases, and knowing its treatment methods is very important. This study investigates the effect of eight weeks of combined high-intensity interval training on intrahepatic FNDC5 protein and irisin in male rats with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Methods: In this study, 40 rats aged 6 to 8 weeks were divided into two groups: healthy (n=20) and high-fat diet (HFD) (n=20). After eight weeks and assurance of disease induction, the HFD group was randomly divided into control-patient (n=9) and training-patient (n=9). Also, the healthy group was divided into control-healthy (n=9) and training-healthy (n=9). The training group rats performed HIIT in aquatic and land environments (Saturdays and Wednesdays in aquatic environments and Mondays on a treadmill). Western blot method was used to measure FNDC5 and irisin proteins, and the spectrophotometric method was used to measure liver enzymes (ALT and AST). One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni’s post hoc test (P 0.05) were used to determine the difference between groups. Results: After eight weeks of combined high-intensity interval training, there was no significant difference in intrahepatic FNDC5 protein levels between the groups (P=0.125). Intrahepatic irisin protein levels significantly increased in the training-healthy group compared to the control-healthy group (P=0.046). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the training-patient group compared to the control-patient group (P=0.036) and a significant increase in the training-healthy group compared to the control-patient group (P=0.011). Conclusion: In general, combined high-intensity interval training (aquatic + land) can increase intrahepatic irisin. Thus, this type of training can be considered one of the potential non-pharmacological options for treating NAS. However, more research is needed to reach definitive results.