Synergistic Impact of Aerobic Exercise and Resveratrol on White Adipose Tissue Browning in Obese Rats: Mechanistic Exploration and Biological Insights.

Abstract

Obesity, marked by excessive white adipose tissue (WAT) accumulation, worsens metabolic disorders, and inducing WAT browning is a promising therapy. This study examined the synergistic effects of moderate-intensity aerobic training and resveratrol (RES) on WAT browning and its underlying mechanisms in obese male rats. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into a normal diet control group (n = 8) and a high-fat-diet modeling group (n = 32), with the rats in the latter group being further divided randomly in groups of eight into a high-fat group; a high-fat, exercise group; a high-fat, RES group; and a high-fat, exercise-combined-with-RES group. The rats in the exercise intervention groups underwent moderate-intensity aerobic treadmill exercise for one hour daily, six days a week, while those in the RES groups received a 50 mg/kg/d RES solution via gavage before exercise, once daily, six days a week. Both interventions lasted eight weeks. Results: The combined intervention synergistically suppressed weight gain and visceral fat accumulation. WAT browning was enhanced, evidenced by upregulated UCP1 and CIDEA expression. Mitochondrial biogenesis was activated via the SIRT1-PGC-1α-NRF-1-TFAM pathway, accompanied by elevated mitochondrial enzyme activity and improved lipid mobilization (reduced serum free fatty acids and triglycerides). Conclusions: The combination of aerobic exercise and RES promotes WAT browning and lipolysis by enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and stimulating mitochondrial thermogenesis through the modulation of the SIRT1-PGC-1α-NRF-1-TFAM pathway.