Positive effects of HIIT and vitamin E on cognitive function, angiogenesis and NRF2 antioxidant pathway in male rats with Alzheimer's disease.

Interactive effects of exercise and antioxidant supplements are still not well known. So, The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of high intensity interval training (HIIT) and vitamin E (VE) on the PI3K/NRF2 pathway in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease rats (AD). In this expremantal study, fifty aged AD rats with 10 mg/kg trimethyltin (TMT), were divided into groups 1) TMT, 2) VE solvent (Sham), 3) VE (30 mg/kg), 4) HIIT (90-95% of the maximum running speed) and 5) HIIT+VE. Ten healthy rats were included in the healthy control group to investigate the effect of TMT on research variables. Results Showed that, HIIT, VE and HIIT+VE decreased amyloid beta (P≤0.05), HIIT and HIIT+VE decreased NF-kB (P≤0.05) as well as HIIT, VE and HIIT+VE increased SOD and decreased MDA. HIIT simultaneously with VE increased PI3K, NRF2, and Cat. HIIT, VE and the interaction of HIIT and VE decreased the expression of miR-125b and increased expression of miR-132 (P≤0.05); The combination of HIIT and VE increased capillary density in areas 1 and 3, the percentage of healthy cells in C1 and C3 areas of the hippocampus (P≤0.05). The effects of HIIT and HIIT+VE on improving memory were better than VE (P≤0.05). It seems that HIIT and VE can synergistically increase the expression of antioxidant genes from the PI3K/NRF2 pathway by decreasing miR-125 and increasing miR-132. Probably, this happens by reducing some AD markers, increasing angiogenesis and cell protection as well as cognitive memory in AD situation.