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Modulatory effect of exercise on reactive astrocytes in the somatosensory cortex of epileptic rats

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Abstract

Background

Astrocytes as the most abundant brain cells play a variety of critical roles in neuroplasticity and normal brain function. Many epileptic patients show changes in astroglia morphology and function named reactive astrogliosis. The beneficial role of exercise has been reported in several studies. This study aimed to assess the effect of regular moderate exercise on astrocytes alteration followed by chronic seizures in the somatosensory cortex.

Methods

Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: sham, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), exercise (EX), EX before PTZ and EX + PTZ. Animals in the sham group received saline every other day for 4 weeks intraperitoneally (i.p.). Chronic seizures were induced by an i.p. injection of PTZ (35 mg/kg) every other day for 4 weeks. The protocol of exercise was running on a treadmill for 30 min/day 5 days a week at a mild intensity. The mean percentage of GFAP, C3 and S100A10 reacted astrocytes in the somatosensory cortex was assessed using immunohistochemistry.

Findings.

Our findings indicated that GFAP, as well as S100A10 expression, increased in the EX and the EX before PTZ group. The expression of the C3 receptor as a marker of neurotoxic astrocytes decreased in the three groups of exercise. In addition, the C3/S100A10 ratio in the somatosensory cortex decreased in the three groups of exercise.

Conclusion

Exercise would remodel astrocytes in the somatosensory cortex in favor of producing more neuroprotective astrocytes following the chronic seizure. Further, the improvement of neuroprotective astrocytes may be involved in the antiepileptogenesis effect of preconditioning exercise.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Saad Bavi, Azam Navazesh, Fahime Zavvari, Mansoureh Soleimani & Fariba karimzadeh

  2. Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Saad Bavi, Azam Navazesh, Homa Rasoolijazi & Mansoureh Soleimani

  3. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Department of Anatomy, Iran , University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mansoureh Soleimani

Authors
  1. Saad Bavi
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  2. Azam Navazesh
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  3. Homa Rasoolijazi
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  4. Fahime Zavvari
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  5. Mansoureh Soleimani
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Contributions

The authors' contributions are as follows: Conception and design of research: Fariba Karimzadeh, Mansoureh Soleimani. Perform experiments: Saad Bavi, Azam Navazesh, Fahime Zavvari. Analysis and interpretation of data: Homa Rasoolijazi. Prepare the manuscript: Fahime Zavvari. Edit and revise of the manuscript: Fariba Karimzadeh, Mansoureh Soleimani. All authors reads and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mansoureh Soleimani or Fariba karimzadeh.

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The authors have no conflict of interest in this research. There is not any relationship with industry.

Ethical approval

All the experiments were carried out according to the protocol approved by the animal ethics of the Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (IR.IUMS.RFC.1398.1287).

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Bavi, S., Navazesh, A., Rasoolijazi, H. et al. Modulatory effect of exercise on reactive astrocytes in the somatosensory cortex of epileptic rats. Sport Sci Health 20, 65–72 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-023-01065-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-023-01065-9

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