Abstract

Background and Aim: The liver is exposed to large amounts of toll-like receptor ligands due to increased bacterial growth and increased intestinal permeability in the patients with fatty liver disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high-intensity interval training and Lactobacillus Rhamnosus probiotic consumption on TLR4 and MYD88 expression in gut tissue in animal model of non-alcoholic fatty liver. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 40 rats (weighing 200-250 gr) were selected and randomly divided into 5 groups including healthy control, fatty liver, fatty liver + HIIT, fatty liver + probiotic and fatty liver + HIIT + probiotic groups. In order to induce fatty liver, oral tetracycline 140 mg/kg/day in 2 ml of water in form of a solution was given to the rats by gavage for 7 days. HIIT exercise program performed on treadmill five sessions per week for 5 weeks. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests. P <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The results showed that TLR4 gene expression was significantly lower in HIIT, probiotic and also HIIT + probiotic groups than in the fatty liver group (P=0.001). Also, the expression of the MYD88 gene in intestinal tissue was significantly lower in HIIT, probiotic and HIIT+ probiotic groups than that in the fatty liver group (P=0.001). Conclusion: Expression of TLR4 and MYD88 genes in adipose tissue induced by fatty liver, can be reduced by HIIT and probiotic intake. Therefore, these interventions can be considered as a non-pharmacological strategy in the treatment of fatty liver. © 2018 the Author (s).