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Updated: Jul 29, 2026
Activating Autophagy by Aerobic Exercise in Mice
Published on: February 3, 2017
Aerobic Exercise Prevents High-Fat-Diet-Induced Adipose Tissue Dysfunction in Male Mice
Qiaofeng Guo1, Nan Li1, Haiyan Shi1
1Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China.
Background/Objectives:
This study aimed to assess the effect of aerobic exercise on capillary density and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype in the visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue of high-fat-diet (HFD) mice in order to understand the mechanisms underlying improvements in insulin resistance (IR) and chronic inflammation in adipose tissue (AT).
Methods:
Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into HFD and normal diet groups for 12 weeks and then further split into sedentary and aerobic exercise subgroups for an additional 8 weeks. Various parameters including body weight, fat weight, blood glucose, lipid profile, insulin levels, glucose tolerance, and inflammatory cytokines were evaluated.
Results:
Aerobic exercise reduced HFD-induced weight gain, IR, and improved lipid profiles. HFD had a minimal effect on inflammatory cytokines except in visceral adipose tissue (VAT). IR was associated with capillary density in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and VSMC phenotype in VAT. Aerobic exercise promoted anti-inflammatory responses in VAT, correlating with VSMC phenotype in this tissue.
Conclusions:
Aerobic exercise can alleviate HFD-induced IR and inflammation through the modulation of VSMC phenotype in AT.
