ABC | Volume 115, Nº2, August 2020

Original Article Basilio et al. Effects of intermittent fasting on the heart Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 115(2):184-193 protein expression. In a previous study, 39 intermittent fasting attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and ventricular dilation in infarcted rats, although it did not alter the gene expression of fetal peptides. The present findings provide evidence of cardiac remodeling induced by exercise training, which was attenuated by intermittent fasting. However, it is not possible to confirm whether the potential effect of dietary restriction is able to reverse pathological processes, such as arterial hypertension and acute myocardial infarction. Likewise, the impact of other experimental models, such as 25 and 50% calorie restriction, 5,7-9 should be further investigated in future studies because they add limitations to the clinical outcomes of the present investigation. Conclusion The combination of intermittent fasting and exercise training intervention is associated with improved glucose tolerance. Exercise training alone promotes myocardial interstitial remodeling, which is attenuated by intermittent fasting. Figure 4 – (A) Myocardial cross-sections stained with picrosirius red according to group. Control (C), sedentary rats receiving the control diet ad libitum; IF, sedentary rats undergoing intermittent fasting; ET: rats exercising and receiving the control diet ad libitum; ETI: rats exercising while intermittent fasting. (B) Interstitial collagen fraction (ICF); * p<0.05 vs. Control; ‡ p<0.05 vs. ET. Two-way ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls test. 191