The Effect of Aerobic Exercise and Ethanolic Extract of Rice Bran on The Expression of Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase and HMGCR Genes in the Liver Tissue of Rats Fed with a High-Fat Diet

Abstract

Alteration in cholesterol homeostasis is a consequence of overweight and obesity induced by diet, with the liver being one of the key organs in the cholesterol synthesis pathway. Since the effect of rice bran and aerobic exercise on the hepatic cholesterol synthesis pathway is not well understood, this study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise and ethanolic extract of rice bran on the expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase and HMGCR genes in the liver tissue of rats fed with a high-fat diet. In a preclinical trial, 30 eight-week-old female rats were randomly divided into five groups (6 rats per group): control with normal diet, control with a high-fat diet, aerobic exercise with a high-fat diet, and aerobic exercise with rice bran and a high-fat diet. The aerobic exercise program included running on a treadmill at moderate intensity (50-60% Vo2max), 5 sessions per week for 4 weeks. The ethanolic extract of rice bran was administered at a dose of 60 mg/kg via gavage to the supplement and exercise-supplement groups. The expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the control group with a normal diet significantly increased compared to the control group with a high-fat diet (P = 0.000), while the expression of HMGCR significantly decreased (P = 0.050). Additionally, the expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the aerobic exercise group with a high-fat diet showed a significant increase compared to the control group with a high-fat diet (P ≤ 0.034), and the expression of HMGCR showed a significant decrease (P = 0.000). Furthermore, intergroup comparisons revealed that the increase in the expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the rice bran diet group was significant compared to the control group with a high-fat diet (P ≤ 0.001), while the expression of HMGCR significantly decreased (P ≤ 0.028). Similar changes were observed in the aerobic exercise-rice bran group compared to the control group with a high-fat diet, showing a significant increase in the expression of Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (P ≤ 0.002), while the decrease in HMGCR expression was significant (P = 0.000).