Association Between Exercise and Treatment with Liraglutide in Obese Rats by Cafeteria Diet

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of liraglutide, an analog of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in association with physical exercise, on the metabolic and biochemical parameters of rats induced to obesity with a cafeteria diet. Male Wistar rats, aged 21 days, were randomly divided into: Controls (CON) receiving standard feed and water ad libitum; and obese (OBESE) receiving cafeteria diet ad libitum, added to the standard diet. Groups were then subdivided into: Liraglutide animals that received subcutaneous injections of liraglutide from 80 to 90 days of life; exercised (EXE) animals submitted to swimming sessions, three days a week (15 min); and liraglutide + EXE animals that received liraglutide in association with physical exercise. Treatment with liraglutide reduced deposits of mesenteric and periepididymal fat, HOMA-IR, triglycerides, glucose and insulin in obese group. It is important to note that the association of the two treatments reduced the body weight in animals, deposits of mesenteric and periepididymal fat, HOMA-IR, blood triglyceride levels, glucose and insulin in obese rats. As such, the association of liraglutide with exercise potentiated the effects of the drug and ameliorated obesity pathology more effectively. retira