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Additive effects of high intensity interval training and therapeutic adenosine on gene and protein expression in lipid metabolism and weight loss in high fat diet-induced obese rats

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: There is significant interest in the development of comprehensive strategies to combat obesity. One such approach involves the combination of exercise training with pharmacological interventions. Recently, the injection of adenosine (Ade) has garnered attention as a potential adjunctive treatment. Forty-two male rats were assigned to two dietary groups for 25 weeks: normal diet and high-fat diet (HFD). After 13 weeks, the HFD group was randomly divided into 4 subgroups for a 12-week intervention: HFD + HIIT + Ade, HFD + HIIT, HFD + Ade and HFD control. The study comprised 4 phases:1) initiation and baseline weighing, 2) fattening, 3) first intervention (Ade 0.2 mg/kg + HIIT), and 4) second intervention (Ade 0.4 mg/kg + HIIT). The HFD + HIIT + Ade group exhibited a significant increase in the expression of AMPK, HSL and A 2A receptor genes and proteins compared to other groups. The highest expression of the CGI-58 gene and protein was significantly observed in the HFD + HIIT group. The ACC gene expression was significantly higher in the HFD group, while the lowest expression was observed in the HFD + HIIT group. The most significant weight loss occurred in the HFD + HIIT + Ade group. HIIT activates lipolytic pathways while concurrently suppressing lipogenic pathways, effects that are enhanced by Ade administration. Moreover, HIIT alone can stimulate Ade-mediated lipolytic receptors, with these effects further augmented by optimal doses of Ade.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-35546-x

Authors: Zahra Eslami, Amir Ghaleh Ghafi, Alexei Wong, Seyyed Hadi Asghari, Naghme Asadi, Seyed Javad Mirghani