Hydroalcoholic extract of dill and aerobic training prevents high-fat diet-induced metabolic risk factors by improving miR-33 and miR-223 expression in rat liver

Abstract

Exercise training and medicinal herbs supplementation may improve microRNAs (miRNAs) expression associated with obesity. This study aimed to assess the effects of 10 weeks of aerobic training (AT) and dill extract (DE) on miR-33 and miR-223 expression of liver in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. Forty male Wistar rats were fed a defined high-fat (n=32) and standard (n=8, non-obese control (NC)) diet. After obesity induction, obese rats were randomly allocated to 4 groups: AT, DE, AT+DE, and obese control (OC). Rats were euthanized and plasma and liver tissue samples were collected after the intervention. The liver expression of miR-33 was lower in the AT, DE, AT+DE, and NC groups compared with the OC group. Also, the liver miR-223 expression was higher in the AT, DE, AT+DE, and NC groups compared with the OC group. Moreover, the liver expression of miR-223 in the AT+DE group was higher compared with the AT and DE groups. The AT, DE, AT+DE, and NC groups had lower liver TC compared with the OC group. Also, the plasma level of apolipoprotein B (Apo B) was significantly lower, and liver HDL-C was significantly higher in the AT+DE and NC groups compared with the OC group. These findings show that long-term AT combined with the intake of DE may improve the plasma levels of Apo B, and TC and HDL-C levels in the liver, which is probably due to AT and DE positive effects on miR-33 and miR-223 in the liver of obese rats.