Exercise combined with rehmannia polysaccharide can restore neurological functioning after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the effect of combining exercise training with the administration of rehmannia polysaccharide on the recovery of neurological function after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion, and its mechanism.Methods:Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, an exercise training group, a rehmannia polysaccharide 10mg group, a rehmannia polysaccharide 20mg group and a rehmannia polysaccharide 40mg group, each of 10. The cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model was induced in all of the rats except those of the sham operation group. After the modelling, the rats not receiving rehmannia polysaccharide were given normal saline solution daily for 6 weeks. The other rats received rehmannia polysaccharide at 10mg, 20mg or 40mg dosage as appropriate. All of the rats exercised. After the intervention, the 6 groups were evaluated through neurological deficit scoring, and their learning and memory ability was assessed using the Morris water maze test. The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in serum as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Protein, methylene dioxyamphetamine (MDA) and nitric oxide levels were detected using the bicinchonininc acid method, the nitrate reductase method and the thiobarbituric acid method respectively. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of phosphorylated p65 (p-p65) and phosphorylation of nuclear factor κB inhibitor protein α (p-IκBα).Results:After 6 weeks of treatment the average neurological deficit scores of all groups except the sham operation group had improved significantly. Compared with the model group, the average neurological deficit scores of the training group and the drug groups had decreased significantly. Compared with the exercise training group, the average neurological deficit scores of the three rehmannia polysaccharide groups had decreased significantly. The average latency of the model group was at that point significantly longer than that of the sham operation group, while its memory ability was significantly weaker. However, the average learning latencies of the exercise training group and the 3 drug groups were significantly lower than that of the model group, while their memory was significantly better. The average learning latencies of the 3 drug groups were all significantly shorter than that of the exercise training group, while their memory was significantly better. After the 6 weeks of medication the average IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α levels of the model group were significantly higher than those of the other 5 groups. Those of the 3 drug groups were significantly different from that of the exercise training group. The average SOD activity in the brain tissue of the model group was significantly lower than that of the sham operation group, while the average levels of NO and MDA were significantly higher. Compared with the model group, the average SOD activity in the exercise group′s brain tissue and that of the three rehmannia glutinosa groups had increased significantly, while the levels of NO and MDA had decreased significantly. The average SOD activity of the three drug groups was significantly higher than that of the exercise training group, while the average levels of NO and MDA were significantly lower. After 6 weeks of medication, compared with the sham operation group, the average levels of p-p65 and p-IκBα protein in the brain tissue of the model group had increased significantly, while compared with the model group, the average levels of p-p65 and p-IκBα protein in the exercise training group and the three drug groups had decreased significantly. Moreover, those levels in the three drug groups were significantly lower than in the exercise training group.Conclusion:Combining exercise with polysaccharide administration can better restore neurological function after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion, at least in rats. It improves learning ability and memory, perhaps by reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting activation of the NF-κB pathway, and slowing the inflammatory response.