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Background and Objective: Obesity is a well-known public health problem that affects people of all ages. It has myriad effects on several body tissues, including the thyroid, in both human and animal models. Some treatments, such as dietary modification and physical activity, may be effective or ineffective in reducing obesity. Accordingly, the present research investigated the effects of obesity on thyroid tissue and the impact of diet modification and aerobic exercises on histopathological and hormonal changes in the thyroid tissue of obese male rats. Methods: In this experimental study, for obesity induction, 50 three-week-old male Wistar rats were exposed to a high-fat diet (including 40% fat, 40% protein, and 20% carbohydrate) for 12 weeks. Then, 25 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: healthy control, obese + high-fat diet, obese + normal diet, obese + high-fat diet + aerobic, obese + normal diet + aerobic. After the induction of obesity, 2 groups were given a standard diet (including 20% fat, 10% protein, and 70% carbohydrates). Aerobic exercises for 8 weeks included 30 minutes per day, 8 m/min, and 5 days per week. After anesthesia, an autopsy was performed, and the thyroid tissue was sent to the laboratory for histopathological studies. Also, 5 cc of blood was taken to study TSH, T3, and T4 using a radioimmunoassay kit. Results: The serum levels of TSH hormone increased slightly in the high-fat diet groups compared to the control group and the normal diet with/without aerobic activity group. Also, the amount of T3 hormone in the group receiving a normal diet along with aerobic activity was significantly lower than in the control, high-fat diet, and high-fat diet along with aerobic activity groups (P<0.05). The T4 hormone increased significantly in all obesity groups compared to the control group (P<0.05), and these values were at the level of the control group (P<0.05) only in the group receiving the normal diet along with aerobic activity. Regarding the histopathological results, many changes were found in the follicular, parafollicular, and follicle cells of the thyroid tissue in the obesity group continuing the high-fat diet; these changes were significantly reduced in the groups for which the diet was changed to the normal diet alone and with aerobic activity. Conclusion: Induction of obesity causes significant structural and biochemical changes in the thyroid, and the combination of diet modification and aerobic activity is more effective in alleviating these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The use of anabolic steroids is common among athletes who perform resistance training; nonetheless, the effect of their abuse, along with resistance training, on the structural destruction of skeletal muscles is not fully understood. The present study aimed to assess the effect of different doses of Boldenone, along with resistance training, on muscle injury. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 36 male Wistar rats (189.53±5.94 gr) were randomly assigned to six groups (n=6 in each group): control, Boldenone (2mg/kg), Boldenone (5mg/kg), training, training+Boldenone (2mg/kg), and training+Boldenone (5mg/kg). Boldenone steroid was injected twice a week into the rat serine muscle. The resistance training program consisted of ladder-climbing 5×3, three times per week for six weeks. It began with 50% of the one-repetition maximum of rats and increased to 100% in the final week. Histopathological changes in quadriceps muscle tissue were assessed using hematoxylin staining and optical microscopic. To assess the normality of data, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey post hoc test were employed for data analysis at a significance level of P≤0.05. Results: Based on the results, there was no significant difference in the weight of rats in all groups. In the groups receiving Boldenone, mild and moderate damages were observed in the tissue structure of the quadriceps muscle, which was slightly improved by performing resistance exercises; however, the difference was not statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Resistance training in the present study did not seemingly prevent or improve the muscle injuries caused by taking Boldenone steroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]