THE EFFECT OF FOUR WEEKS' VOLUNTARY EXERCISE ON A REGULAR AND COMPLEX WHEEL RUNNING ON NG2 BRAIN LEVELS IN HEALTHY MALE WISTAR RATS

NGF-2 is oligodendrocyte progenitor cell which has neuroprotective
functions. This study was designed to investigate and compare the effect of a 4-week voluntary training
program on regular and complex running wheels on NGF-2 levels in healthy Wistar male rats.
Materials and methods: Thirty adult Wistar male rats were divided into 3 groups: voluntary training on
regular running wheel, voluntary training on complex running wheel, and control. For measuring the
NGF-2 levels in the brain, the ELISA test was used. One-way analysis of variance and Tuckey post-hoc
tests were employed for comparing the intergroup differences. All the statistical analysis were conducted
by SPSS software (version 20).
Results: Performing voluntary training programs on regular (p=0.03) and complex running wheels
(p=0.001) resulted in significant changes in NGF-2 levels in the brain. There was also a significant
difference between these two modes of training programs (p=0.05).
Conclusion: Based on the results, these 2 training protocols can be regarded as positive intervening
factors for increasing oligodendrocytes in healthy rats, although the complex running wheel voluntary
training has shown to be more promising.