Relation of telomere length and apoptosis in the hippocampus of Alzheimer’s male rats after twelve weeks of combined exercise

Background. Apoptosis of the nerve tissue, especially the hippocampus, has been introduced as one of the potential causes of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and it may be related to telomere length. In addition, exercise affects various aspects of nerve cell activity and may prevent their death. Based on this, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between telomere length and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons after 12 weeks of combined exercise in Alzheimer's rats. Methods. Overall, 35 male Wistar rats (weight 174±22g) were divided into control, Alzheimer’s, aerobic, resistance, and combined groups, each including 7 animals. Alzheimer’s was induced, and 8 mg/kg of trimethyltin was injected intraperitoneally. The groups of training were implemented for 12 weeks/5 days a week. After anesthetizing and perfusing the rats, the hippocampal tissue was isolated, and a real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure gene expression using the Master-mix Ampliqon and Synaclon DNA synthesis kit. Differences were determined by a one-way analysis of variance, and groups were compared by using Tukey’s post hoc test (P≤0.05). Results. Overall, 35 male Wistar rats (weight 174±22g) were divided into control, Alzheimer’s, aerobic, resistance, and combined groups, each including 7 animals. Alzheimer’s was induced, and 8 mg/kg of trimethyltin was injected intraperitoneally. The groups of training were implemented for 12 weeks/5 days a week. After anesthetizing and perfusing the rats, the hippocampal tissue was isolated, and a real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure gene expression using the Master-mix Ampliqon and Synaclon DNA synthesis kit. Differences were determined by a one-way analysis of variance, and groups were compared by using Tukey’s post hoc test (P<0.05). Conclusion. It seems that performing combined exercise (swimming and resistance) is effective in improving the telomere length and decreasing the apoptosis of Alzheimer’s rats’ hippocampus. Practical Implications. Performing combined sports activities (aerobic and strength) effectively improves telomeres while reducing neuron apoptosis.