The effects of swimming on neurotrophin-3 levels in the skeletal muscles of diabetic rats / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the effects of exercise on the levels of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in the skeletal muscles of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods The rats were divided into an 8-week exercise group (A), a 4-week exercise group (B), a diabetes control group (C), an exercise group (D) in which no dia-betes was induced, and a control group (E). The rat model of diabetes was induced in the rats of groups A, B and C by intra-abdominal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at 55 mg/kg. The exercising rats were forced to swim for 60 minutes once daily, 5 days a week. The levels of NT-3 in skeletal muscles were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cadual nerve conduction velocity (CNCV) in all of the rats was evaluated at the beginning, and after 4 and 8 weeks of swimming exercise. Results NT-3 levels in the skeletal muscles in group C were sig-nificantly lower than in groups A, D and E. There was no statistically significant difference in NT-3 levels between groups B and C. The NT-3 levels showed a significant positive correlation with CNCV at the 8th week. Conclu-sions The increase in NT-3 levels of skeletal muscles induced by exercise could contribute partially to the im-provement of diabetic neuropathy.