The Efficacy of Home-based Resistance Exercise and Game-based Exercise Training on microRNA-21-5p Expression and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Biomarkers in Children with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Background: At present, increasing evidence has reported circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential clinical biomarkers for specific diseases and administration of pharmaceutical agents. The main aim of this study was to compare the effect of two selected home-based resistance exercise (HBRE) and game-based exercise training (GBET) groups on microRNA21-5p expression and biomarkers related to non-alcoholic fatty liver in children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Materials and Methods: Twenty children with T1D aged 10-15 years were randomly assigned to one of two groups (HBRE: n = 10; GBET: n = 10). The exercise training lasted for 8 weeks with three sessions per week. The liver enzyme profile, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), glucose, microRNA-21-5p, insulin, and Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) levels were measured before and after the interventions in both groups. In addition, the cardiopulmonary fitness and body fat percentage (BF%) of the participants were also evaluated. Results: After exercise interventions, miR-21-5p increased significantly for both intervention groups (HBRE: 8.9% vs. GBET: 6.7%; P = 0.001). The levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) (HBRE: 60.71% vs. GBET: 49.15%) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzymes (HBRE: 54.02% vs. GBET: 34.02%), the glucose (HBRE: 15.03% vs. GBET: 16.26%), and the HbA1c (HBRE: -10.44% vs. GBET: -6.52%) were decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.05). The cardiorespiratory endurance of subjects increased (HBRE: 2.85% vs. GBET: 3.75%), but there were no differences between groups (P ≥ 0.05). Conclusions: Both HBRE and GBET protocols were effective to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, liver enzyme profile, glycemic control, and miR-21-5p changes that seem to be indicative of the pathological status of T1D children. © 2025 Advanced Biomedical Research.