ABSTRACT
Objective To determine effect of endurance training on the expression of fatty acid translocase FAT/ CD36 in skeletal muscle of rats and the correlation between the expression and insulin sensitivity index (ISI). Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two groups:training group(T,n=13) and control group (C, n=10). Rats in group T were trained on treadmill six days a week for 7 weeks. Fat pads around testes and kidneys were weighted for calculating the percentage of fat pads vs body weight. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG),nonesterified fatty acids(NEFA) and fasting insulin(FINS) were measured. Western blot was used to detect FAT/ CD36 protein expression in quadriceps homogenate. The relation of FAT/CD36 expression to the ISI was analyzed. Results Markedly lower body weight,percentage of fat pads, TC,NEFA, and FINS were seen in group T after 7-week endurance training comparing to that in group C(P<0.01 ,P<0.01 ,P<0.01 ,P<0.05,and P<0.05,respectively). The FAT/CD36 protein expression and ISI were significantly higher in group T than in group C(P<0.01and P<0.05). A significant correlation between FAT/CD36 and ISI were found in group T(r=0.823,P<0.01 ),nut not in group C. Conclusion Seven-week endurance training improved insulin sensitivity and up-regulated the expression of FAT/CD36 for adapting the requirement of fatty acid transportation in skeletal muscle induced by enhanced lipid catabolism after endurance exercise.