Treadmill exercise attenuates 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced memory impairment through a decrease apoptosis in male rat hippocampus.

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) leads to apoptosis in the hippocampus with consequent induction of learning and memory impairment. In this study, we have investigated the effects of treadmill exercise on memory in relation to apoptosis and oxidative stress in the hippocampi of MDMA-treated rats. Male Wistar rats received multiple intraperitoneal (IP) injections of MDMA (10 mg/kg) and exercised for one month on a treadmill (simultaneously or asynchronously with MDMA). We assessed memory function with the Morris water maze (MWM) test. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) and expression of caspase 3, Bax, and Bcl-2 were examined by the thiobarbituric acid assay (TBA) and western blot, respectively. Our results showed that asynchronous treadmill exercise could significantly improve MDMA-induced memory impairment in the MWM test. Caspase 3 expression decreased in the exercise group compared to the MDMA group. Although MDMA treatment caused an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, the treadmill exercise reduced this ratio. Simultaneous exercise caused a reduction in lipid peroxidation in the hippocampus. This data suggests that treadmill exercise can be a useful strategy for treating memory impairment in persons with neurodegenerative disease and stimulant drug users. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.