Effects of Eight Weeks of Interval Swimming Training and Motor-Enriched Environment Activity Combined with Artemisia Extract on Serotonin and Dopamine Levels in the Brain Tissue of Rats with Parkinson's disease

نویسندگان

1 Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

3 Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

4 Department of Sport Physiology, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran

doi
10.22038/jnfh.2024.82833.1536
چکیده

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common cause of death among neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the effect of eight weeks of interval swimming training (IST) and motor enriched environment activity (MEEA) along with Artemisia (Ar) extract on serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain tissue of rats with PD. Methods: In this experimental study, 42 male Sprague-Dawley rats (250–270 grams, 14–16 months old) were used, with PD induced using 2 mg/kg reserpine. They were divided into six groups: (1) Parkinson's disease control (Res), (2) IST, (3) MEEA, (4) Ar extract only, (5) IST+Ar, and (6) MEEA+Ar. In addition, in order to investigate the effect of Parkinson's disease induction on research variables, 7 healthy rats were selected as a healthy control group (HC). Results: The serotonin and dopamine levels were significantly higher in the IST, MEEA, Ar, IST+Ar, and MEEA+Ar groups compared to the Res group (P=0.001). Additionally, serotonin and dopamine levels were higher in the IST, MEEA, IST+Ar, and MEEA+Ar groups compared to the Ar alone group (P=0.001). In the IST+Ar and MEEA+Ar groups, dopamine levels were also significantly higher compared to the IST and MEEA groups (P=0.001). Conclusion: IST, MEEA, and Ar extract, individually and in combination, appear to improve neurotransmitter levels. However, the combination of training and Ar, particularly with overload training principles, may exert more favorable effects on neurotransmitter levels under neurodegenerative conditions.