Effect of Endurance Exercise Training and Gallic Acid on Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in an Animal Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a non-refundable gradual neuro-degenerative disorder, in which the neurons, especially the ones in the memory zone, are damaged and cause increase in the level of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In the present study, we investigated the effect of endurance exercise training and chronic administration of Gallic acid (GA) on the TNF-α level in rat hippocampus in the Trimethyltin (TMT)-treated model of AD. Materials and Methods: Seventy female Spraque Dawley rats were divided into seven groups: 1.Control, 2. AD, 3. GA50, 4. GA100, 5. Exercise, 6. Exercise+GA50, and 7. Exercise+GA100. In order to induce AD, Trimethyltin (8mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally to the rats in groups 2-7. Rats in the groups 5, 6, and 7 carried out an eight-week exercise program on a motorized treadmill (15-20 m/min, 0% inclination for 15-30 min/day, and 5 days/ week). Animals of the groups 3 and 6 were treated by 50 mg/kg of GA and animals of groups 4 and 7 were treated by 100 mg/kg of the GA daily, for 2 weeks. Then, the TNF-α level in the hippocampus were measured. Results: The results indicated that the TNF-α level in the hippocampus was decreased in all test groups compared to the AD group. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that endurance exercise training, GA consumption, and both administration of GA and co-treatment with training have immunomodulatory effects and could be used to inhibit the cytokine release after TMT intoxication.