Exercise induced myelin protein zero improvement in neuropathic pain rats

Abstract

Purpose

Aerobic exercise including swimming plays a suitable role in improving somatosensory injuries. Neuropathic pain is a debilitating condition that occurs following injury or diseases of somatosensory system. In the present study, we tried to investigate the effect of exercise on myelin protein zero of sciatic nerve injured rats.

Materials and methods

Forty male rats (180–220 g) were divided into five groups (intact, sham, sham + exercise, neuropathy, and neuropathy + exercise). Right Sciatic nerve of anesthetized rats was exposed and loosely ligated (four ligations with 1 mm apart) using catgut chromic sutures to induce neuropathy. After 3 days of recovery, swimming exercise began (20 min/day/5 days a week/4 weeks). Mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were detected using Von Frey filaments and plantar test, respectively. Sciatic nerve at the place of injury was dissected out to measure the myelin protein zero by western blot analysis. In the intact and sham groups, sciatic nerve removed at the place similar to injured group.

Results

We found that neuropathy significantly (p < 0.05) reduced paw withdrawal mechanical and thermal thresholds and swimming exercise significantly (p < 0.05) increased paw withdrawal mechanical and thermal thresholds compared to the neuropathy group. Moreover, we found that MPZ level significantly (p < 0.01) decreased in neuropathy group against that in sham group, and exercise prominently (p < 0.05) reversed MPZ level towards control level.

Conclusions

Swimming exercise improves myelin protein zero level in neuropathic rats along with attenuating neuropathic pain. This is a promising approach in improving neuropathological disorders including Charcot-Marie-Tooth and Dejerine–Sottas disease.

Keywords:

• Neuropathy
• myelin protein zero
• exercise
• rat

Acknowledgements

This investigation was supported by the Deputy of the Research and Technology of Semnan University of Medical Sciences, and the authors of the article are making their appreciation to the Deputy. We would like to thank Mr. Hossein Ali Safakhah for the technical assistance.

Author contributions

Ali Ghanbari designed the overall study and wrote the paper. Ali Ghanbari, Sahar Ghasemi, and Sam Zarbaksh collected data and carried out the lab work. Ali Ghanbari and Sam Zarbakhsh carried out the statistical analysis. Sahar Ghasemi mostly drafted the manuscript. Ali Ghanbari coordinated and supervised the study. All authors approved the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Derived data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author [initials] on request.

Additional information

Funding

Deputy of the Research and Technology of Semnan University of Medical Sciences.