Preventive effects of low‐intensity endurance exercise for severe hyperglycemia‐induced capillary regression in non‐obese type 2 diabetes rat skeletal muscle

Although endurance exercise is effective for reducing diabetes‐related capillary regression, it is difficult to prescribe high‐intensity endurance exercise due to the potential worsening of complications in patients with severe hyperglycemia. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether chronic low‐intensity exercise training may prevent severe hyperglycemia‐induced capillary regression of skeletal muscle in non‐obese type 2 diabetes. Non‐diabetic Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to a control (Con) group and an exercise (Ex) group. Likewise, spontaneously diabetic Torii rats were assigned to a diabetic sedentary (DM) group or a diabetic exercise (DMEx) group. Rats in the Ex and DMEx groups were placed on a motor‐driven treadmill running at low speed (15 m/min) for 60 min/day, 5 days/week, for 14 weeks. Serum glucose levels were significantly increased in the DM group, but not in the DMEx group. Although the capillary‐to‐fiber ratio in the plantaris muscle was significantly lower in the DM group compared to the control group, the ratio in the DMEx group was significantly higher compared to the DM group. Moreover, the succinate dehydrogenase activity and expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ coactivator‐1α (PGC‐1α) were reduced in the plantaris muscle of the DM group. However, those in the DMEx group were significantly higher than those in the DM group. These results indicate that low‐intensity chronic endurance exercise training has the potential to prevent the progression of capillary regression in the skeletal muscles of non‐obese type 2 diabetes patients with severe hyperglycemia.