Abstract
Background and Objectives: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is produced by low secretion of insulin or resistancy to insulin. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the free radical production and antioxidant defense systems of the body. This condition is strongly related with diabetes and symptoms of it.
Methods: Diabetes induced by injection of streptozotocin in male rats (STZ, i.p injection, single dose, 50mg/Kg). Exercise performed for 8 weeks and one hour every day. 40 male rats (200 + 20 g) were divided into four groups (control, control with exercise, diabetic, diabetic with exercise). At the end of experiments, the rats were anesthetized deeply by ether and then decapitated by guillotine. Hippocampi of animals were removed on ice immediately and kept frozen. Tissue was homogenized in prepared buffer and after centrifugation produced supernatant was used for determination of SOD, GPX and CAT activities, and MDA level.
Results: Diabetes reduced SOD activity and GPX of hippocampus in diabetic rats significantly (P<0.05). MDA level increased in diabetic rats significantly compared to control group (P<0.01). In response to exercise MDA level decreased in diabetic rats (P<0.01) and SOD and catalase activities increased significantly (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Swimming exercise by increasing the activity of hippocampus antioxidant enzymes and decreasing the MDA level has beneficial effects in prevention of nervous symptoms of diabetes mellitus and tissue injuries by oxidative stress produced by this disease.