Effects of Eight Weeks of Resistance Exercises on Expression of Neurotrophins and Trk Receptors in Alzheimer Model Male Wistar Rats

• Published in: Basic and clinical neuroscience 2021-01
• Main Authors: Jafarzadeh, Gholamhasan, Shakeryan, Saeid, Farbood, Yaghoob, Ghanbarzadeh, Mohsen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2008-126X; 2228-7442
• DOI: 10.32598/bcn.2021.2067.1

This study aims to evaluate the effects of eight weeks of resistance exercises on expression of neurotrophins and Trk receptors in Alzheimer model male Wistar rats. For this purpose, 32 mature male Wistar rats with mean weights of 230 to 280 g were chosen and divided into Alzheimer and Sham groups. Rats in the Sham group received normal saline while rats in the Alzheimer group received STZ via intraventricular injection. These rats were then divided into the following four subgroups: 1. Resting Sham, 2. Exercising Sham, 3. Resting Alzheimer, and 4. Exercising Alzheimer. The two exercising rat subgroups, exercised three times a week for a period of eight weeks. A weight was attached to their tails and they had to carry this weight on a 26-step ladder in each cycle. Resting groups were handled every day to minimize the effects of stress level. At the end of the 8th week and 24 hours after the last exercise session (to avoid the effects of the last exercise session), the rats were put under deep anesthesia and scarified by head separation. Hippocampus tissues were precisely extracted and samples were sent to laboratory for molecular and cellular tests. In order to investigate gene expression, Quantitative RT-PCR was used. Results of the tests for comparing the means of BDNF, NT3, NGF, TrkA, and TrkB in two rat groups showed that with error levels of less than 5% and confidence of over 95%, there is a significant difference in the amounts of BDNF, NT3, NGF, TrkA, and TrkB between exercising rats and resting rats. These amounts were much higher in exercising Alzheimer rats group. Eight weeks of resistance exercises increased the expression of BDNF, NT3, and NGF genes as well as TrkA and TrkB receptors in Alzheimer model Wistar rats.