Abstract
[Purpose] Physical activity is one of the most pivotal targets for the prevention and
management of vascular complications, especially endothelial dysfunctions. Cellular
fibronectin is an endothelium-derived protein involved in subendothelial matrix assembly.
Its plasma levels reflect matrix alterations and vessel wall destruction in patients with
type II diabetes. This study investigated the influence of 12 weeks of supervised aerobic
training on cellular fibronectin and its relationship with insulin resistance and body
weight in type II diabetic subjects. [Subjects and Methods] This study included 50 men
with type II diabetes who had a mean age of 48.8 ± 14.6 years and were randomly divided
into two groups: an aerobic exercise group (12 weeks, three 50 minutes sessions per week)
and control group. To examine changes in cellular fibronectin, glycosylated hemoglobin,
insulin resistance, fasting insulin, fasting blood sugar, and lipid profile, 5 ml of blood
was taken from the brachial vein of patients before and 48 hours after completion of the
exercise period and after 12 hours of fasting at rest. Data analysis was performed using
the SPSS-16 software with the independent and paired t-tests. [Results] A significant
decrease was observed in body mass index and body fat percentage in the experimental
group. Compared with the control group, the aerobic exercise group showed a significant
decrease in cellular fibronectin, glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin resistance, fasting
insulin, fasting blood sugar, and lipid profile after 12 weeks of aerobic exercise. The
change in cellular fibronectin showed positive significant correlation with body mass
index, diabetic biomarkers, and physical activity level. [Conclusion] The results showed
that supervised aerobic exercise as a stimulus can change the levels of cellular
fibronectin as matrix metalloproteinase protein a long with improvement of insulin
sensitivity and glycosylated hemoglobin in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases in men
with diabetes