Preventive Effects of Endurance and Cognitive-Motor Training on TREM2 Expression and IL-33 Levels in Vascular Dementia Rats

Introduction: Vascular dementia (VaD) is a cognitive impairment that affects the expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) and interleukin 33 .The present study aimed to investigate the preventive effect of endurance and cognitivemotor dual-task training on the TREM2 and IL-33 expression in rats with VaD. Materials and Methods: Forty middle-aged male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups: healthy control, dementia, endurance training + dementia, and dual cognitive-motor task + dementia.The rats in the endurance training group underwent running exercises, while the cognitive-motor dual-task group participated in the Morris water maze for 8 weeks.Following the interventions and the creation of a vascular dementia model through a 30-minute common carotid artery occlusion, blood samples were collected.IL-33 serum levels were measured using the ELISA method, and TREM2 expression was assessed by Western blotting after extracting the hippocampus.Results: The r esults show that both training methods significantly affected the levels of TREM2 and IL-33.TREM2 levels were significantly higher in both exercise groups compared to the control group and significantly lower compared to the dementia group.Furthermore, IL-33 levels were significantly higher in both exercise groups compared to the control group, with a significant difference observed between the control and dementia groups.Conclusion: Endurance and cognitive-motor dual-task training appear to help maintain appropriate concentrations of TREM2, potentially preventing cognitive and functional decline associated with VaD.However, no significant difference in IL-33 levels was found between the exercise and dementia groups, highlighting the need for further research on the type, intensity, and impact of exercise on this variable.