Neuroprotective effects of voluntary wheel running and eriobotrya japonica flower extract on Parkinsonian rats

Backgrounds: The loss of dopamine-secreting cells and the decrease in the status of antioxidant is associated with incidents of Parkinson's disease. The purpose of the present study was to determine the protective effect of a 12- weeks voluntary wheel running (VWR) along with the injection of eriobotrya japonica flower extract (EJFE, 200 mg/kg body weight, 3 days a week) on cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the cerebral cortex of a rat model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Method: To do so, the rats were trained for 12 weeks with and without EJFE prior to the induction of Parkinson. In order to obtain the Parkinsonian model, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) (5 µL) was injected intracerebrally. Data were statistically analyzed by one-way analysis of variance followed by LSD post-hoc test (P < 0.05). Results: 6-OHDA injection significantly decreased the CDNF contents, and SOD activity while it increased MDA levels in cerebral cortex of the Parkinsonian control group. The pre-training of PD rats with and without EJFE increased the CDNF content and SOD activity and also decreased MDA levels. Conclusion: Preconditioning by VWR and EJFE may be effective in reducing the consequences of toxins resulted in Parkinson's disease.