Ghantabpour Taha, Soleimani Mansoureh, Ahadi Reza, Karimzadeh Fariba, Moradi Alireza
Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Basic Clin Neurosci. 2025 Jan-Feb;16(1):115-130. doi: 10.32598/bcn.2023.5909.1. Epub 2025 Jan 1.
Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures associated with cognitive, mental, and social issues. Exercise has been well known as a non-pharmacological or complementary remedy that reduces the effective dose and side effects of pharmacological therapies. Orexin signaling pathway and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have an essential role in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. In this study, we investigated the effect of exercise on the modulation of the orexin-A (OXA) and BDNF signaling pathways in epileptic rats.
Male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: Normal saline (NS), seizure, physical activity (PA), PA + pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), and PA-PTZ. Assessment of seizure behaviors was done 30 min after each PTZ injection in the seizure, PA+PTZ, and PA-PTZ groups. Seizure behavior score (SBS) was monitored in seizure, PA+PTZ, and PA-PTZ. The expression of the OXA and BDNF in the CA1, CA3, and cortex was assayed by immunohistochemistry staining. The correlations between the OXA and BDNF were evaluated in the study groups.
SBC was reduced in the epileptic rats that had exercised. Seizure and PA increased the OXA expression in the seizure and PA groups. Compared to the seizure group, the OXA expression decreased in the CA1 and CA3 of the PA+PTZ, PA-PTZ, and cortex of the PA+PTZ group. OXA was up-expressed in the PA-PTZ group compared to the PA+PTZ group. Seizure decreased the BDNF expression in the seizure group compared to the NS group. PA elevated the BDNF expression in the CA1, CA3, and cortex of the PA group. BDNF was up-expressed in the cortex of the PA+PTZ and the CA1, CA3, and cortex of PA-PTZ. BDNF expression increased in the CA1 and CA3 of the PA-PTZ compared to the PA+PTZ group. There was a significant correlation between the OXA and BDNF expression in the CA1, CA3, and cortex of the NS and seizure groups and the CA1 and cortex of the PA group.
Our results indicate that PA had an amelioration effect on the severity of the seizure. Our findings suggest that the effect of PA on seizure might not arise from the interaction of the OXA and BDNF expression in epileptic rats.
癫痫的特征是反复发作的癫痫发作，并伴有认知、心理和社会问题。运动作为一种非药物或辅助治疗方法，已广为人知，它可以降低药物治疗的有效剂量和副作用。食欲素信号通路和脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）在癫痫的发病机制中起着重要作用。在本研究中，我们调查了运动对癫痫大鼠中食欲素A（OXA）和BDNF信号通路调节的影响。
将雄性Wistar大鼠分为5组：生理盐水（NS）组、癫痫组、体力活动（PA）组、PA+戊四氮（PTZ）组和PA-PTZ组。在癫痫组、PA+PTZ组和PA-PTZ组中，每次注射PTZ后30分钟评估癫痫行为。在癫痫组、PA+PTZ组和PA-PTZ组中监测癫痫行为评分（SBS）。通过免疫组织化学染色检测CA1、CA3和皮质中OXA和BDNF的表达。在研究组中评估OXA和BDNF之间的相关性。
运动的癫痫大鼠的SBC降低。癫痫发作和PA增加了癫痫组和PA组中OXA的表达。与癫痫组相比，PA+PTZ组的CA1和CA3以及PA+PTZ组皮质中的OXA表达降低。与PA+PTZ组相比，PA-PTZ组中OXA表达上调。与NS组相比，癫痫发作降低了癫痫组中BDNF的表达。PA提高了PA组CA1、CA3和皮质中BDNF的表达。BDNF在PA+PTZ组的皮质以及PA-PTZ组的CA1、CA3和皮质中表达上调。与PA+PTZ组相比，PA-PTZ组的CA1和CA3中BDNF表达增加。NS组和癫痫组的CA1、CA3和皮质以及PA组的CA1和皮质中，OXA和BDNF表达之间存在显著相关性。
我们的结果表明，PA对癫痫发作的严重程度有改善作用。我们的研究结果表明，PA对癫痫发作的影响可能不是源于癫痫大鼠中OXA和BDNF表达的相互作用。
