Effects of combined therapy with resveratrol, continuous and interval exercises on apoptosis and lipid profiles in the liver of rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver disorders. In this study, effect of resveratrol supplementation alone or in combination with interval and continuous exercises was considered on hepatic cells apoptosis and serum lipid profiles in rats with NAFLD. Materials and Methods: Old rats were divided into two groups, including control and NAFLD. The NAFLD rats were then randomly divided into seven experimental sub-groups including NAFLD, NAFLSD + saline, NAFLD + resveratrol (RSV), NAFLD + continuous exercise, NAFLD + interval exercise, NAFLD + continuous exercise + RSV, and NAFLD + interval exercise + RSV. Apoptosis biomarkers, including liver Bax and Bcl2 proteins, and serum lipid profiles including HDL, LDL, total cholesterol (Cho) and triglyceride (TG), were measured using specific ELISA kits. Results: Resveratrol supplementation alone or in combination with exercise training significantly decreased the serum LDL, Cho and TG levels (p<0.05), but significantly increased the HDL level (p<0.05). RSV alone or in combination with interval and continuous exercise programs significantly decreased Bax protein content (p<0.001), but significantly increased the Bcl2 level (p<0.001). Conclusion: NAFLD is powerfully associated with the liver cells apoptosis and abnormality in lipid profiles. Although, resveratrol supplementation alone has an anti-apoptotic and reducing effect on lipid profiles, the combined therapy with exercise training can be more effective