Abstract

Introduction and purpose: Structural remodeling of the heart following myocardial infarction often leads to heart failure, a condition characterized by impaired cardiac function and increased hemodynamic load. Inflammation, oxidative stress, and ventricular remodeling play key roles in the pathogenesis of heart failure. This study aimed to investigate the effects of combined administration of propionate and low-volume HIIT on inflammatory status and cardiac function in mice with heart failure.

Methodology: Forty male Wistar rats (8 weeks old, 200–250 g) were induced with HF by isoproterenol injection (130 mg/kg) and randomly assigned to five groups: (1) Control, (2) heart failure, (3) heart failure + Propionate, (4) heart failure + HIIT, and (5) heart failure + HIIT + Propionate. HIIT consisted of 10 one-minute bouts with a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio, performed over 6 weeks. Propionate was administered orally at a dose of 1000 mg/kg prior to each training session. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography, and cytokine levels were measured using ELISA. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA (p<0.05).

Findings: Both HIIT and propionate individually improved cardiac function and inflammatory markers. The combined intervention significantly increased ejection fraction (p = 0.038) and fractional shortening (p=0.023), reduced TNF-α (p=0.0061), and increased IL-10 levels (p=0.0007), yielding superior outcomes compared with individual treatments.

Discussion and conclusion: This study demonstrates that the combination of propionate supplementation with low-volume HIIT effectively improves inflammation and cardiac function in rats with heart failure.