Therapeutic Effect of Physical Activity in a Male Wistar Rat Model of Paraquat and Maneb-Induced Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by impairments in motor control following the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons located in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Environmental pesticides such as Paraquat (PQ) and Maneb (MB) contribute to the onset of PD by inducing oxidative stress (OS). This study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of moderate physical activity (PA) on both motor and non-motor symptoms in a Wistar rat model of Paraquat and Maneb (PQ/MB) induced PD. Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: control, exercise (EX), PQ/MB, PQ/MB + L-dopa, PQ/MB + EX, and PQ/MB + EX + L-dopa. PD was induced via intraperitoneal (IP) injections of PQ (5 mg/kg) and MB (0.05 mg/kg) administered twice weekly for six weeks, followed by four weeks of moderate exercise in the designated groups. Motor and non-motor behaviors were then assessed, and OS markers were analyzed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), striatum (ST), and hippocampus (HP). In our model, PQ/MB exposure induced characteristic PD symptoms, including motor dysfunction, anxiety, depression, and memory deficits. These symptoms were accompanied by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and reduced activity of antioxidant enzymes. However, moderate PA significantly improved several parameters: it enhanced coordination and balance, reduced anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, improved memory performance, attenuated lipid peroxidation, and increased antioxidant defense mechanisms, particularly the activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). These findings suggest that PA is a promising non-pharmacological therapeutic approach for the management of both motor and non-motor symptoms of PD.