The effect of aerobic and resistance exercise with olive extract on VO2 max, PTEN, and AKT in rats with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of exercise training with the consumption of olive extract on maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), phosphatase and tensin homolog on chromosome 10 (PTEN), and protein kinase B (AKT) in rats with Parkinson.

 The samples of this experimental study included male Wistar rats (n = 30, 8 weeks old, 200 ± 50 g). Animals were randomly divided into six groups: control (C), Parkinson's (P), Parkinson's with olive extract (P+OE), Parkinson's with exercise (P+E), Parkinson's with olive extract and exercise (P+OE+E), and olive extract with exercise (OE+E) group (n = 5 per group). The training groups performed aerobic and resistance exercises for eight weeks (5 sessions per week) and were given olive extract by gavage. VO2 max was assessed at the end of the fourth and eighth weeks of exercise. One day after the intervention, rats were sacrificed, and tissues were removed and examined for real-time PCR. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc test were used to analyze the data.

 The results showed that a period of exercise training combined with the consumption of olive extract significantly increased the VO2 max in rats with Parkinson's disease (P < 0.05). The expression of the PTEN gene decreased in OE+E, P+OE+E, and P+E groups compared to P+OE and Parkinson's groups (P<0.05). AKT gene expression in all intervention groups significantly increased compared to the Parkinson's group (P<0.05).

 The results suggest that a period of exercise with the consumption of olive extract probably can increase the VO2 max and AKT and decrease PTEN in rats with Parkinson's disease.