Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk
Journal of Eexercise & Organ Cross Talk

The effect of high-intensity interval training and spirulina supplementation on the levels of Pannexin-1 and NLRP-1 proteins in hippocampal tissue in male rats with type 1 diabetes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohsen Akbarpour Beni 1
Fatemeh Rahimi 2

1 Association professor Department of Sports Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.

2 Department of Sport science, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22122/jeoct.2025.513845.1148
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of High-intensity interval training and spirulina supplementation on the levels of Pannexin-1 and NLRP-1 proteins in hippocampal tissue in male rats with type 1 diabetes. In this experimental study, 30 Wistar rats, aged 10 weeks and weighing 180-260 grams, were randomly divided into 5 groups of 6 each: exercise group, supplement group, exercise + supplement group, control group, 5 healthy group. After inducing diabetes and implementing the protocol, hippocampal tissue from the rats was extracted, and the levels of PANNXIN-1 and NLRP-1 proteins were measured using the western blot method. Statistical analyses and data processing were conducted using SPSS version 26 software, with significance set at P≤0.05. The results showed a significant increase in Pannexin-1 and NLRP-1 proteins in diabetic rats (P<0.05). There was a noticeable decrease in protein expression after 6 weeks of rigorous intermittent exercise and spirulina supplements in the exercise, supplement, and exercise + supplement groups compared to the diabetic group. This reduction was mostly due to the combined effects of exercise and supplementation rather than either alone. Our research has verified the hypoglycemic effects of intense interval training and spirulina supplementation, along with their impact on reducing PANX-1 and NLRP-1 protein expression. Consequently, it appears that this form of physical activity and herbal supplement could significantly enhance the management of neurodegenerative disorders in individuals with type 1 diabetes.

What is already known on this subject?

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is widely regarded as one of the most common chronic and expensive metabolic diseases.

 

What this study adds?

These findings highlight the potential of HIIT and Spirulina supplementation as adjunctive therapeutic strategies for mitigating neurodegenerative processes in type 1 diabetes by modulating hyperglycemia and inflammation-related protein expression.

Keywords

HIIT
Spirulina supplement
Hippocampus
Diabetes
NLRP-1
PANX-1

Subjects

Acknowledgements

The researchers would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to Sport Physiology Department of University of Qom for their help in achieving practical results.

Funding

This article is derived from a master's thesis titled The Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training and Spirulina Supplementation on the Levels of PANNEXIN-1 and NLRP-1 Hippocampal Proteins in Male Rats with Type 1 Diabetes, which was financially supported by University of Qom.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in the present research.

Ethical approval The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Qom, Qom, Iran under protocol number IR.QOM.REC.1402.011.

Informed consent Animal study.

Author contributions

Conceptualization: M.A.B., F.R.,; Methodology: M.A.B., F.R.,; Software: M.A.B., F.R.,; Validation: M.A.B., F.R.,; Formal analysis: M.A.B., F.R.,; Investigation: M.A.B., F.R.,; Resources: M.A.B., F.R.,; Data curation: M.A.B., F.R.,; Writing - original draft: M.A.B., F.R.,; Writing–review & editing: M.A.B., F.R.,; Visualization: M.A.B., F.R.,; Supervision: M.A.B.; Project administration: M.A.B., F.R.,.; Funding acquisition: M.A.B., F.R.,

Abdelkhalek, N. K., Ghazy, E. W., & Abdel-Daim, M. M. (2015). Pharmacodynamic interaction of Spirulina platensis and deltamethrin in freshwater fish Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus: impact on lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 22, 3023-3031. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3578-0
Alizadeh Palavani, H., Yaghmaei, M., Mirzaee Moghamir, S., & Salboukhi, R. (2023). The Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on the Amount of BECLIN1/2 Family Autophagy Proteins in the Left Ventricle of the Heart in Rats with Type 1 Diabetes [Research]. Iranian Journal of Diabetes and Lipid Disorders, 23(4), 236-244. http://ijdld.tums.ac.ir/article-1-6234-en.html doi: http://ijdld.tums.ac.ir/article-1-6234-en.pdf
Bertram, S., Brixius, K., & Brinkmann, C. (2016). Exercise for the diabetic brain: how physical training may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in T2DM patients. Endocrine, 53, 350-363. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-016-0976-8
Ceci, R., Valls, M. R. B., Duranti, G., Dimauro, I., Quaranta, F., Pittaluga, M., Sabatini, S., Caserotti, P., Parisi, P., & Parisi, A. (2014). Oxidative stress responses to a graded maximal exercise test in older adults following explosive-type resistance training. Redox biology, 2, 65-72. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2013.12.004
de Rivero Vaccari, J. P., Dietrich, W. D., & Keane, R. W. (2014). Activation and regulation of cellular inflammasomes: gaps in our knowledge for central nervous system injury. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 34(3), 369-375. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/jcbfm.2013.227
den Heijer, T., Vermeer, S., Van Dijk, E., Prins, N., Koudstaal, P., Hofman, A., & Breteler, M. (2003). Type 2 diabetes and atrophy of medial temporal lobe structures on brain MRI. Diabetologia, 46, 1604-1610. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-003-1235-0
Eidizadeh, H., Avandi, S. M., Zar, A., & Sadeghipour, H. R. (2024). The effect of eight weeks of resistance training with spirulina platensis supplementation on the RAGs/Rheb/mTORC/S6K pathway in male rat kidneys [Original article]. Jorjani Biomedicine Journal, 12(1), 23-27. doi: https://doi.org/10.29252/jorjanibiomedj.12.1.23
Gleeson, M., Bishop, N. C., Stensel, D. J., Lindley, M. R., Mastana, S. S., & Nimmo, M. A. (2011). The anti-inflammatory effects of exercise: mechanisms and implications for the prevention and treatment of disease. Nature reviews immunology, 11(9), 607-615. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/nri3041
Isakson, B. E., & Thompson, R. J. (2014). Pannexin-1 as a potentiator of ligand-gated receptor signaling. Channels, 8(2), 118-123. doi: https://doi.org/10.4161/chan.27978
Khanjani, H., & Esmaelzadeh Toloee, M. (2021). The effect of six weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and endurance on blood glucose and Follistatin protein content in the left ventricular tissue of the heart of male rats with type 1 diabetes. Journal of Sport Biosciences, 13(3), 351-365. doi: https://doi.org/10.22059/jsb.2021.324379.1471
LaFerla, F. M., Green, K. N., & Oddo, S. (2007). Intracellular amyloid-β in Alzheimer's disease. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 8(7), 499-509. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2168
Martínez-Tellez, R., de Jesús Gómez-Villalobos, M., & Flores, G. (2005). Alteration in dendritic morphology of cortical neurons in rats with diabetes mellitus induced by streptozotocin. Brain research, 1048(1-2), 108-115.
Martinon, F., Burns, K., & Tschopp, J. (2002). The inflammasome: a molecular platform triggering activation of inflammatory caspases and processing of proIL-β. Molecular cell, 10(2), 417-426. URL: https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(02)00599-3
Meek, T. H., & Morton, G. J. (2012). Leptin, diabetes, and the brain. Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism, 16(Suppl 3), S534-S542. doi: https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.105568
Meng, X.-F., Wang, X.-L., Tian, X.-J., Yang, Z.-H., Chu, G.-P., Zhang, J., Li, M., Shi, J., & Zhang, C. (2014). Nod-like receptor protein 1 inflammasome mediates neuron injury under high glucose. Molecular neurobiology, 49, 673-684. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-013-8551-2
Mridha, M. O. F., Noor, P., Khaton, R., Islam, D., & Hossain, M. (2010). Effect of Spirulina platensis on lipid profile of long evans rats. Bangladesh Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 45(3), 249-254.
Mullenix, G. J., Greene, E. S., Emami, N. K., Tellez-Isaias, G., Bottje, W. G., Erf, G. F., Kidd, M. T., & Dridi, S. (2021). Spirulina platensis inclusion reverses circulating pro-inflammatory (chemo) cytokine profiles in broilers fed low-protein diets. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 640968. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.640968
Quagliariello, V., Basilicata, M. G., Pepe, G., De Anseris, R., Di Mauro, A., Scognamiglio, G., Palma, G., Vestuto, V., Buccolo, S., & Luciano, A. (2022). Combination of Spirulina platensis, Ganoderma lucidum and Moringa oleifera Improves Cardiac Functions and Reduces Pro-Inflammatory Biomarkers in Preclinical Models of Short-Term Doxorubicin-Mediated Cardiotoxicity: New Frontiers in Cardioncology? Journal of cardiovascular development and disease, 9(12), 423. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd9120423
Rami, M., Fathi, M., Rahmati, M., & Tabandeh, M. R. (2020). Effect of 6 weeks endurance exercise on hippocampal pannexin-1 and NLRP-1 protein levels in experimental diabetic male wistar rats. Journal of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences. doi: https://doi.org/10.18502/ssu.v28i2.3478
Rand, J. S., Fleeman, L. M., Farrow, H. A., Appleton, D. J., & Lederer, R. (2004). Canine and feline diabetes mellitus: nature or nurture? The Journal of nutrition, 134(8), 2072S-2080S. URL: https://jn.nutrition.org/article/S0022-3166(23)03003-1/fulltext
Reagan, L. P. (2007). Insulin signaling effects on memory and mood. Current opinion in pharmacology, 7(6), 633-637. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coph.2007.10.012
Rezazadeh Mehrizi, H., Soltani, N., Mehranfard, N., & Ghasemi, M. (2023). Changes in protein expression of NMDA glutamate receptor and Pannexin-1 channel in gastric antrum tissue of rats with type 2 diabetes and treated with insulin [Research]. Feyz Medical Sciences Journal, 27(5), 473-480.  doi: https://doi.org/10.48307/fmsj.2023.0.5.473  
Riahy, S. (2024). The effects of 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training on FGF21, irisin, and myostatin in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Growth Factors, 42(1), 24-35. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/08977194.2023.2279163
Ringseis, R., Eder, K., Mooren, F. C., & Krüger, K. (2015). Metabolic signals and innate immune activation in obesity and exercise. Exercise immunology review, 21.
Shirwaikar, A., Rajendran, K., & Barik, R. (2006). Effect of aqueous bark extract of Garuga pinnata Roxb. in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type-II diabetes mellitus. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 107(2), 285-290. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2006.03.012
Thompson, R. J., Zhou, N., & MacVicar, B. A. (2006). Ischemia opens neuronal gap junction hemichannels. Science, 312(5775), 924-927. doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1126241
 
 
 
Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk
Volume 5, Issue 3
Summer 2025
Pages 109-115

  • Receive Date 25 March 2025
  • Revise Date 27 September 2025
  • Accept Date 27 September 2025

Home

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us