Introduction: Parkinson's disease is caused by damage to the nervous system. Oleuropein and exercise have protective effects on the nervous system. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of oleuropein and swimming practice on motor disorder induced by 6-hydroxydopamine toxin in mature male rats.
Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 40 rats were divided into control, Parkinson's, swimming practice (five sessions per week and 30 minutes per session), oleuropein (20mg/kg), and combined swimming practice and oleuropein groups. Parkinson's disease was induced by injection of 8μg 6-hydroxydopamine neurotoxin (6-OHDA) in the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) of the left brain of the rats. At the end of the administration period, catalepsy, step length, muscle stiffness, and motor coordination were measured using the rotarod test to assess motor disorders.
Results: Four weeks of oleuropein administration, four weeks of swimming practice, and four weeks of combined swimming practice and oleuropein use significantly improved the motor disorders induced by 6-OHDA administration. Moreover, four weeks of swimming practice and oleuropein showed a significant increase in motor balance test and a significant decrease in the rotarod test respectively compared to the administration of oleuropein (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the swimming practice group.
Conclusion: The effects of swimming exercise, which is a high activity physical activity, were more tangible than those of oleuropein and did not show a significant difference with co-administration of oleuropein and swimming exercise, so it can be considered as an effective treatment for preventing the multiple complications of Parkinson's disease.