Effect of Intensive Exercise Training and Vitamin E Supplementation on the Content of Rat Brain-Drived Neurotrophic Factors

[Background]Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) and Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) increase Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) expression. Athletics use anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory supplementations to reduce H₂O₂ and TNF-α level. There is insufficient information about vitamin E supplementation on neurotrophic adaptations induced by intensive exercise training. [Objectives]The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of intensive exercise training in combination with vitamin E supplementation on BDNF and GDNF content of rat brain.[Methods]In an experimental study in Iran, 40 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to Control (C), Sham (S), Vitamin E (V.TE), Exercise training (ET), Exercise training + Vitamin E (ET+V.TE) groups, with 8 rats in each group. Exercise training on treadmill (27 m/minute) was carried out in combination with vitamin E supplementation (60 mg/kg/day) for six weeks. Statistical significance was determined at P < 0.05 using one-way analysis of variance (SPSS software, version 16.0).[Results]Vitamin E supplementation increased brain vitamin E levels in V.TE and ET+V.TE groups (P = 0.001). Significant increments in the levels of H₂O₂ (P = 0.007), TNF-α, (P = 0.001), BDNF (P = 0.001), and GDNF (P = 0.001) in the ET group were shown; however, vitamin E supplementation could not change exercise-induced increases on the above-mentioned factors in the ET+V.TE group (the p-values were equal to 0.024, 0.001, 0.001, and 0.001 respectively).[Conclusion]Intensive exercise training increases BDNF and GDNF contents in the whole brain of rats, yet vitamin E does not influence neurotrophic adaptations induced by intensive exercise training.