Progressive resistance exercises as motor therapy for rats with Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Introduction. Parkinson's disease (PD) is progressive, affecting the Central Nervous System with degeneration of the substantia nigra of the midbrain and decreased dopamine synthesis in the striatum, leading to motor control problems and voluntary movements. Physical activity is a non-pharmacological therapeutic option in PD, but there is still a scarcity of animal studies. Method. This study looked at progressive resistance exercise in Wistar rats, before and after PD induction by electrical stimulation in the substantia nigra of the midbrain for 10 seconds. The rats trained on the vertical ladder for 4 weeks, 5 days/week, up to 45 minutes, maintaining a Maximum Heart Rate between 80-95%. Exercises occurred before and after induction. After the experiment and euthanasia of the animals, the nervous and musculoskeletal tissue of the right front and back legs were collected for histological and histomorphometric analysis, using Nissl, Toluidine, Gomori and Verhoeff Trichrome staining techniques. Results. There was an increase in the area and diameter of the muscle fibers of the flexor hallucis longus muscle (hind leg) in the exercise groups before and before and after PD. However, the exercises did not affect the passive components of collagen and elastic fibers in the muscles evaluated. Conclusion. Progressive resistance exercises have demonstrated benefits for the flexor hallucis longus muscle in the hind leg, but not for the biceps brachii on the front paw in rats with PD. These results provide important insights into the effects of progressive resistance physical activity in the context of PD.