title: Impact of metformin treatment and swimming exercise on visfatin levels in high-fat-induced obesity rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Visfatin is a recently discovered adipocytokine that contributes to glucose and obesity-related conditions. Until now, its responses to the insulin-sensitizing agent metformin and to exercise are largely unknown. We aim to investigate the impact of metformin treatment and/or swimming exercise on serum visfatin and visfatin levels in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), peri-renal adipose tissue (PAT) and skeletal muscle (SM) of high-fat-induced obesity rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a normal diet or a high-fat diet for 16 weeks to develop obesity model. The high-fat-induced obesity model rats were then randomized to metformin (MET), swimming exercise (SWI), or adjunctive therapy of metformin and swimming exercise (MAS), besides high-fat obesity control group and a normal control group, all with 10 rats per group. Zoometric and glycemic parameters, lipid profile, and serum visfatin levels were assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks of therapy. Visfatin levels in SAT, PAT and SM were determined by Western Blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Metformin and swimming exercise improved lipid profile, and increased insulin sensitivity and body weight reduction were observed. Both metformin and swimming exercise down-regulated visfatin levels in SAT and PAT, while the adjunctive therapy conferred greater benefits, but no changes of visfatin levels were observed in SM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that visfatin down-regulation in SAT and PAT may be one of the mechanisms by which metformin and swimming exercise inhibit obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of An Hui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of An Hui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Changjiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of An Hui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Tianrong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of An Hui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D008687:Metformin; D002784:Cholesterol; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase