| Objective(s): This research was designed to demonstrate the impact of voluntary exercise on sperm
parameters including sperm count, morphology, motility, viability, testicular apoptosis, oxidative
stress, and the mir-34a/SIRT1/p53 pathway in type 2 diabetic rats.
Materials and Methods: 32 Wistar male rats were separated into four groups: control (C), voluntary
exercise (VE), diabetic (D), and diabetic rats that performed voluntary exercise (VED). To induce
diabetes, animals were injected with streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) after receiving a high-fat diet. The
testicular protein levels of SIRT1 and P53, miR-34a expression, MDA, GPx, SOD, catalase, and sperm
parameters were evaluated.
Results: Diabetes caused increased testicular MDA content, miR-34a expression, acetylated p53 protein
expression, and the percent of immotile sperm (P<0.01 to P<0.001) as well as reduced testicular GPx,
SOD and catalase activities, SIRT1 protein expression, and sperm parameters (P<0.05 to P<0.001).
Voluntary exercise reduced testicular MDA content, miR-34a, and acetylated p53 protein expression
compared with the D group (P<0.001), however, GPx, SOD, catalase activities, and sperm parameters
in voluntarily exercised rats were elevated compared with diabetic rats (P<0.05 to P<0.001).
Conclusion: It seems that voluntary exercise has significant positive impacts that can be employed to
reduce the complications of type 2 diabetes in the testis of male rats. |