Effect of aerobic exercise combined with berberine chloride hydrate on cardiac tissue of streptozotocin-diabetic rats

Background and Aim: Diabetes is a chronic and progressive metabolic disorder that leads to more severe cardiac complications. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of berberine chloride on the heart tissue of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with aerobic training. Methods: 56 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 8): control (C), sham (S), Aerobic training control (TC), diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetes-berberine (BDM), diabetes mellitus. Aerobic training (TDM), and aerobic training -berberine (TBDM) were divided. Diabetes was induced by injection of streptozotocin in male rats. The training groups performed aerobic exercise program (10-18 m / min, 10-40 min five days a week) for six weeks on the treadmill for histological evaluation using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson trichrome and staining Immunohistochemicals were used to measure diameter change, cardiomyocyte rupture, change in nuclei, and collagen deposition in cardiac muscle fibers using one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests with SPSS 21 software. Results: The results showed that DM group did not induce cardiomyocyte fibers rupture and collagen deposition and reduction of filament diameter in group C, S and TC and its damage in heart tissue was less in TBDM group than in BDM and TDM groups. Conclusion: The results showed that berberine supplementation reduced these effects and synergized with aerobic training and reduced the cardiac cardiomyocyte muscle fibers diameter and decreased collagen deposition and better order of nuclei.