Effect of aerobic exercise and Melissa officinalis extract on the expression of p53, p21, and caspase-3 genes in the hippocampus of male rats with induced Alzheimer\'s disease

Background and Aim: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major health challenge in the world today. The present study aimed to determine the effect of aerobic exercise and Melissa officinalis extract on the expression of p53, p21, and caspase-3 genes in male rats with AD. Methods: In this experimental study, 48 rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: control, AD, control + aerobic exercise, AD + aerobic exercise, AD + aerobic exercise + extract, and AD + extract. The AD model was induced by injecting amyloid beta 42-1 into the hippocampus. Aerobic exercise was performed for 8 weeks. Melissa officinalis extract was dissolved in 2 ml of distilled water at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight and gavaged to rats for 8 weeks. Real-Time PCR was used to determine the expression levels of p53, p21, and caspase-3 genes. Results: After 8 weeks of aerobic exercise combined with Melissa officinalis extract, the expression of the p21 gene in the intervention groups significantly increased compared to the AD group (P<0.05). Moreover, p53 and caspase-3 were significantly decreased in the AD + aerobic exercise and AD + aerobic exercise + extract groups compared to the AD group (P<0.05). Conclusion: It seems that aerobic exercise combined with Melissa officinalis extract can inhibit AD by suppressing apoptosis, however, further studies in this field are needed.