Elham Anari
, Jamshid Banaei Borojeni
* , Elham Eftekhari Gheinani
, Hamid Zahedi
Abstract
Background and aims: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra, leading to motor and non-motor symptoms. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), an important regulator of neuronal plasticity and adaptive responses, represents a potential molecular target in Parkinson’s disease research. This study compared the effects of aerobic, resistance, and combined exercise (PD-COM) training on BDNF gene expression in the striatum and substantia nigra of a PD rat model. Methods: Fifty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: healthy control (HC), PD non-exercise, and PD with aerobic, resistance, or PD-COM. Parkinsonism was induced via unilateral 6-OHDA injection. Exercise interventions lasted 8 weeks (5 days/week). BDNF gene expression was quantified using qPCR, and data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p<0.05). Results: Significant group differences were observed for BDNF expression in both the striatum and substantia nigra (p < 0.001). Compared with the PD non-exercise group, aerobic, resistance, and PD-COM significantly increased BDNF expression in both brain regions (all p ≤ 0.001). PD-COM produced the highest BDNF expression, reaching levels comparable to those observed in HCs. Aerobic exercise resulted in higher substantia nigra BDNF expression than resistance exercise (p = 0.014). Conclusion: Combined aerobic and resistance exercise produced the greatest increase in BDNF mRNA expression in the striatum and substantia nigra compared with isolated exercise modalities. These findings suggest that combined training may provide a stronger stimulus for regulating BDNF-related molecular responses following dopaminergic injury.