High-intensity interval training attenuates neuroinflammation and seizure activity via miR-۱۴۶a/NF-κB signaling in chronic mesial temporal lobe epilepsy

Objective(s): Regular exercise training has emerged as a non-pharmacological approach that can beneficially impact disease progression in epileptic patients, but the underlying molecular pathways remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of eight weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), recognized as a time-efficient form of aerobic exercise, on hippocampal neuroinflammation and seizure activity in a kainic acid rat model of chronic Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE).Materials and Methods: After induction of epilepsy via intrahippocampal injection of kainic acid, rats were randomly divided into ۴ groups: Control, Sham, Epilepsy, and Epilepsy+HIIT. After an acclimatization period, rats in the exercise group performed ۸ weeks of HIIT. The HIIT protocol consisted of running at ۹۰% of Vmax, with active rest periods at ۳۰% of Vmax. At the end of week ۸, rats were sacrificed, and hippocampal tissue was extracted for Western blotting and real-time qPCR.Results: After ۸ weeks of HIIT, our data showed that IL-۱β (P<۰.۰۰۰۱), IRAK۱ (P<۰.۰۰۰۱), NF-κB (P<۰.۰۰۰۱), and p-NMDA (P<۰.۰۰۰۱) levels were significantly lower than in the epileptic group. Additionally, miR-۱۴۶a levels were significantly lower than in the epileptic group (P<۰.۰۰۱). Seizure intensity also decreased in parallel with the reduction in inflammation.Conclusion: Our results indicate that HIIT could serve as a potent anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective tool in chronic MTLE through regulating the miR-۱۴۶a/NF-κB/pNMDA pathway, highlighting that regular chronic exercise training could be a complementary therapeutic option for drug-resistant epilepsy.

کلیدواژه ها:

Convulsion ، Epilepsy ، Exercise training ، Hippocampus ، Inflammation