Effects of 7-Week Aerobic Training and Piperine Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Markers of Brain Tissue in Male Wistar Rats Exposed to Paraquat

Paraquat triggers oxidative stress and apoptosis. This study aimed to explore the effects of 7-week aerobic training and piperine supplementation on oxidative stress markers of brain tissue in male Wistar rats exposed to paraquat.

Forty-eight adult rats were divided into 6 groups: 1) sham, 2) paraquat (negative control), 3) paraquat+training, 4) paraquat+training+piperine, 5) paraquat+piperine, and 6) paraquat+vitamin E. Aerobic training included 7 weeks of walking on a treadmill, 5 sessions per week for 30-40 minutes per session with 10 to 18 m/min. The paraquat was prepared at a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight; it was injected intraperitoneally 3 times a week. The animals were fed daily on piperine supplementation (20 mg) and vitamin E (20 mg/kg body weight). Oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, were measured in samples obtained from the brain hippocampus tissue.

The MDA concentration was significantly higher in the negative control group (2.20±0.24) than in the sham (0.54±0.16), paraquat + training (1.64±0.25), paraquat+piperine (1.57±0.24), paraquat+training+piperin e (1.16±0.18), a nd p araquat+vitamin E groups (1.43±0.15; P<0.001). However, the GSH concentration was significantly lower in the negative control group (1.63±0.20; P<0.001) than in sham (3.59±0.65), paraquat+training (1.94±0.25), paraquat+piperine (2.28±0.34), paraquat+training+piperine (3.20±0.39), and paraquat+vitamin E groups (2.08±0.31).

The use of training alone and training with piperine supplementation can be considered a new strategy to prevent paraquat-induced neurotoxicity.