Comparison of high-intensity interval versus low-intensity continuous training for myelin synthesis related genes in C57BL/6 mice

By increasing the scientific focus on myelination, identifying factors that influence the myelination is an important goal for brain health. There are some studies that regular exercise improves myelin sheath and neuronal regeneration. However, the effects of exercise intensities on the myelination remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the effect of high-intensity interval (HIIT) versus low-intensity continuous training (LICT) on myelin synthesis-related genes in hippocampus of C57BL/6 mice.

Male C57BL/6 mice (n = 30) were randomly assigned to 3 groups: control (C), Interval training (IT), and Continuous training (CT). Training programs on the treadmill were performed for 8 weeks and then, the hippocampus of animals was analyzed for the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP) genes. Data were analyzed using ANOVA.

The result showed that HIIT program significantly increased the mRNA levels of MBP and PLP in comparison with LICT and Control groups (P<0.05), while no significant differences were observed among the LICT and Control groups (P>0.05).

Our results showed that HIIT had a more efficient by improving the expression of MBP and PLP genes compared to LICT in the hippocampus.