Exercise ameliorating myocardial injury in type 2 diabetic rats by inhibiting excessive mitochondrial fission involving increased irisin expression and AMP‐activated protein kinase phosphorylation

Abstract Purpose Though exercise generates beneficial effects on diabetes‐associated cardiac damage, the underlying mechanism is largely unclear. Therefore, we prescribed a program of 8‐week treadmill training for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats and determined the role of irisin signaling, via interacting with AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK), in mediating the effects of exercise on myocardial injuries and mitochondrial fission. Methods Forty 8‐week‐old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into groups of control (Con), diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetes plus exercise (Ex), and diabetes plus exercise and Cyclo RGDyk (ExRg). Ex and ExRg rats received 8 weeks of treadmill running, and the rats in the ExRg group additionally were treated with a twice weekly injection of Cyclo RGDyk, an irisin receptor‐αV/β5 antagonist. At the end of the experiment, murine blood samples and heart tissues were collected and analyzed with methods of ELISA, Western blot, real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, as well as immunofluorescence staining. Results Exercise effectively mitigated T2DM‐related hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, lipid dysmetabolism, and inflammation, which could be diminished by Cyclo RGDyk treatment. Additionally, exercise alleviated T2DM‐induced myocardial injury and excessive mitochondrial fission, whereas the beneficial effects were blocked by the administration of Cyclo RGDyk. T2DM significantly decreased serum irisin concentrations and fibronectin type III domain‐containing protein 5 (FNDC5)/irisin gene and protein expression levels in the rat heart, whereas exercise could rescue T2DM‐reduced FNDC5/irisin expression. Blocking irisin receptor signaling diminished the exercise‐alleviated mitochondrial fission protein expression and elevated AMPK phosphorylation. Conclusion Exercise is effective in mitigating diabetes‐related insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, and inflammation. Irisin signaling engages in exercise‐associated beneficial effects on myocardial injury and excessive mitochondrial fission in diabetes rats involving elevated AMPK phosphorylation.