The highest effect size was considered for the age group×treatment (P=0.05e-11). Also, independent variables of age [F2, 87=12.5418, P<0.001] and treatments [F8, 176=4.4206, P<0.001] alone or in combination [F8, 176=7.6434, P<0.001], could significantly influence the STL on day 2. In the following, the effects of treatment on STL were evaluated in each day separately.
On day 1, the groups did not show significant differences among STL to the dark compartment (
Figure 2A). On day 2, there was a significant difference between old and young control animals’ performance in STL, while there were no significant differences between young and old treatment groups. So, all old treatment groups spent significantly more time in the light compartment compared to the control one (P<0.001). There is no significant difference between young animal groups in STL performance (
Figure 2B).
3.2. Biochemical analyses
Similar to behavioral assessments, the partial effect size of age and treatment, alone or in combination, were evaluated (
Figure 3).
Statistical analysis showed that age could affect SOD (P=2e-16), GPx (P=2e-16), and CATA (8.4e-12) activity and MDA level (P=2e-16) and total antioxidant capacity (P=4.14e-13) in the hippocampus. The results demonstrated that treatments significantly affects SOD (P=8.69e-12), GPx (P=1.11e-13) and CATA (P=7.21e-09) activity, MDA level (P=9.74e-10) and total antioxidant capacity (P=2.05e-10). However, the combination of age and treatment (age group × treatment) could not affect any of the antioxidant factors except the MDA level (P=4.74e-07). On the other hand, independent variables of age (F5, 45=155.173, P<0.001) and treatments (F20, 192=3.080, P<0.001) alone or in combination (F20, 192=2.108, P<0.01) could significantly influence the levels of TAC and MDA and also the activity of SOD, GPX, CATA in hippocampus.
3.2.1. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)
As shown in
Figure 4A, in the old animals, SOD enzyme activity significantly increased in each treatment group compared to the control (P<0.001 for exercise and exercise/rosemary, P<0.01 for rosemary).
In contrast, no significant difference was observed in young groups of animals. Also, the comparison between young and old animal groups revealed significant increases in all young groups compared to similar old ones (P<0.001 for the control and exercise/rosemary groups and P<0.05 for the similar exercise groups), except for the rosemary groups.
3.2.2. Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx)
Figure 4B shows that in the old animals, GPx enzyme activity only increased significantly in the exercise/rosemary group compared to the control (P<0.001). In comparison, no significant difference was seen among young groups of animals. Also, the comparison between young and old animal groups revealed significant increases in all young groups compared to similar old ones (P<0.001).
3.2.3. Catalase (CATA)
As shown in
Figure 4C, CATA enzyme activity in old animals significantly increased in treatment groups compared to the control group (P<0.05 for exercise and P<0.001 for exercise/rosemary). However, young groups of animals did not show significant differences. Comparison of the young and old animal groups revealed significant increases in all young groups compared to the similar old ones (P<0.001 for the control and exercise/rosemary groups and P<0.05 for the similar exercise groups), except for the rosemary groups.
3.2.4. Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC)
Evaluation of the TAC level in the hippocampus of old animals revealed significant increases in each treatment group (P<0.001 for exercise and exercise/rosemary, P<0.01 for rosemary) than the control group. Also, no significant difference was seen between young groups of animals. Based on the findings, there was no significant difference between old and young animals in all groups with similar conditions, except between the control groups (P<0.001) (
Figure 4D).
3.2.5. Malondialdehyde (MDA)
For MDA levels, our results demonstrated significant decreases in the old treatment animals in comparison with the control group (P<0.001 for exercise and exercise/rosemary groups, and P<0.01 for rosemary). However, there was no significant difference between young animals. On the other hand, the levels of MDA in old animals were significantly more than that in young animals in similar groups (P<0.001) (
Figure 4E).
3.3. Partial Pearson correlation test between enzymes and Step-Through Latency (STL) scores
As shown in
Table 1, the Partial Pearson analysis test revealed a positive correlation between SOD enzyme activity and STL score on day 2 (r=0.389, P<0.01).
The TAC level showed a positive correlation with the STL score on day 2 (r= 0.342, P<0.05). While there were negative correlations between MDA levels and STL scores on both days (r= -0.271, P<0.05: for the first day and r= -0.573, P<0.001 for the second day).
4. Discussion
The aging process shows the cumulative effects of deterioration caused by free radicals in cells and tissues. Several studies have reported correlations between aging and the accumulation of oxidative damage in cells (
Head, 2009;
Posadas et al., 2009). In addition, a reduced cognitive ability, which occurs in normal aging, may result from oxidative damage in the hippocampus. Some studies suggest that working memory, long-term memory, and perceptual speed are reduced because of aging (
Park et al., 2002). Furthermore, previous studies demonstrated that exercise could regulate several transcription factors involved in the electron transfer chain in mitochondria and causes enhancement in oxidation-sensitive transcription factors such as PGC-1α (Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha) that plays a vital role in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) metabolism (
Jacobson et al., 2008). Regular exercise, besides increasing Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus, enhanced Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) production, which improves brain blood circulation (
van Praag, Shubert, Zhao & Gage, 2005;
Radak, Kumagai, Taylor, Naito & Goto, 2007).
Exercise improves cognitive functions and delays the onset of Alzheimer disease (
Rovio et al., 2005). In a recent study, moderate treadmill exercise (20 min/d) for 4 weeks decreased GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein) and NO (nitric oxide), but increased glutamine synthesis in the hippocampus (
Bernardi et al., 2013). Rosmarinus officinalis extract contains several antioxidant compounds, polyphenols, diterpenes, exhibiting different properties, such as hepatoprotective, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-ulcerogenic, and photo-protection effects (
Corrêa Dias, Foglio, Possenti & de Carvalho, 2000;
Sotelo-Félix et al., 2002;
Kumar, Subramaniyan & Thiruvengadam, 2013;
Pérez-Sánchez et al., 2014). Also, rosemary extract consumption by old rats decreased catalase activity, lipid peroxidation, and ROS levels in the cerebrum (
Posadas et al., 2009).
In the present study, we examined learning and working memory using the shuttle box in old and young rats treated with daily 100 mg/kg rosemary extract and FAE over 12 weeks. In the PA test, STL data showed that old animals in the control group spent less time in the light compartment than young animals on this day of the test with the same conditions. On the other hand, the performances of old and young animals, which received treatments (exercise and rosemary, alone or in combination) were similar on the second day of the PA test. These data reveal that aging can decrease learning and memory, but exercise like the administration of rosemary extract can improve these functions. This finding means that exercise and rosemary, alone or in combination, improve the PA learning ability of old animals and help them function like the young ones.
Many studies have shown that exercise activities have mental health benefit (
Deslandes et al., 2009). Exercise can improve brain function by regulating growth factors and reducing risk factors (
Cotman et al., 2007). It is suggested that Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) and BDNF pathways are important targets during exercise. Blocking hippocampal receptors for IGF-1 (IGF-1R) or BDNF (TrkB) can eliminate the effectiveness of exercise on hippocampal plasticity and increase some molecules, including synapsin 1, calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II, and mitogen-activated protein kinase II (
Vaynman, Ying & Gomez‐Pinilla, 2004;
Ding, Vaynman, Akhavan, Ying & Gomez-Pinilla, 2006;
Kaliman et al., 2011). Lower neurogenesis in the hippocampus is associated with cognitive decline (
Drapeau et al., 2003), whereas exercise enhances neurogenesis, contributing to improved cognitive functions (
van Praag, Christie, Sejnowski & Gage, 1999;
van Praag et al., 2005).
The previous studies revealed that memory deficits (tested by PA learning task) caused by morphine in rats were improved with acute treadmill running (2 hours at 5 m/min for 10 days) (
Alaei et al., 2006). Exercise by the treadmill (30 min/d for 6 weeks, with a maximum speed of 8 m/min) also increased neurogenesis and both spatial and short-term memory functions and suppressed apoptosis in the dentate gyrus in old rats but not in young rats (
Kim et al., 2010). On the other hand, treadmill exercise (1 h/d, 5 d/wk) for 4 weeks in preadolescence rats (4-6 weeks old) could facilitate PA performance, decrease 5-HT levels in the hippocampus, and reduce 5-HT1A receptor expression in the amygdala (
Chen et al., 2008). Another study showed that carnosic acid could ameliorate spatial learning and memory impairments due to beta-amyloid toxicity of rats’ hippocampus (
Rasoolijazi et al., 2013).
Also, this study revealed that the levels of SOD, GPx, CATA, MDA enzymes, and TDC are low in the hippocampus of old control rats, but our treatments could change their levels. At the same time, rosemary could not change the level of CATA and GPx levels alone. Also, exercise could not change the level of GPx, alone. However, the combination of exercise and rosemary could affect CATA and GPx, like the other ones. It is shown that exercise could be more effective than rosemary for changing the SOD, CATA, TAC, and MDA levels in old rats. Most probably, due to the current high level of antioxidant ability in the brain of young rats, no such improvement was observed in these animals.
Consistent with our results, it was shown that physical exercise improves TAC through modulation of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Sirtuins (SIRT1 & SIRT3) genes in 3- to 5-month-old male rats (
Franzoni et al., 2017). Superoxide (O2-) is one of the most toxic molecules in the brain that should be neutralized and become less dangerous forms of oxygen (O2 + H2O2) by the SOD enzyme (
Musalmah, Fairuz, Gapor & Ngah, 2002;
Ishrat et al., 2006). Also, it was indicated that long-term exercise treatment significantly increases the SOD enzyme activity in 12-month-old rats compared to the control group (
Marosi et al., 2012), resulting in the removal of H2O2 by CATA and GPx enzymes (
Ishrat et al., 2006).
Similar to our results for these enzymes, another study showed some improvement in GPx and CATA activity following sumac extract administration among 25-month-old rats than the control group (
Abbass, Mahmoud, Hussein & Gabr, 2012). It was shown the same increase in antioxidant enzymes in the spleen and liver tissues in quails due to rosemary treatment (
Bulbul, Bulbul, Biricik, Yesilbag & Gezen, 2012), which is consistent with our findings.
Posadas et al. also suggested that the rosemary extract has efficacy on the activity of the antioxidant enzymes in the brain tissue of old rats (
Posadas et al., 2009). Results of another study showed that the rosemary extract could increase antioxidant enzyme activity in the hippocampus and also reduces the MDA level in rats (
Rasoolijazi et al., 2015).
Oxidative damage to lipids and proteins causes alteration in cell membrane structures, decreases the activity of enzymes, and leads to cell death (
Niki, 2008; Mansour & Mossa, 2009). This index correlates with aging in some organs, such as the brain and liver. At the same time, there is no association in the heart and lungs for these factors (
Péréz, López & de Quiroga, 1991). On the other hand, the results of the examination of the peroxidation of lipids on the liver of old male and female rats demonstrated that the MDA levels of the liver increased 50% in old rats compared to younger animals, while the MDA level was 50% lower than younger animals in females. As a result, they suggested that the MDA level depends on the sex and age of these animals (
Rikans & Roger Hornbrook, 1997). Furthermore, exercise and vitamin E dietary could significantly increase the activity of oxidative enzymes (CATA, GPx, SOD) and also cause significant reduction of MDA levels in the hippocampus in middle-aged rats (
Asha Devi & Ravi Kiran, 2004).
The present study shows that daily administration of 100 mg/kg rosemary extract and FAE on a treadmill (1 h/d) for 3 months could improve working memory evaluated by shuttle box task in old rats. Measuring antioxidants enzyme activity, SOD, TAC, and MDA levels confirmed the results of the behavioral tests. These results may partly be due to the effects of aerobic activity on improving the efficiency of the capillary system, which triggers the plasticity in the hippocampus, and the antioxidant activity of rosemary extract.
5. Conclusion
Using the natural antioxidants in the diet or doing aerobic exercises every day may effectively prevent the decline of cognitive functions, which occurs through the aging process due to oxidative stress in rats.
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
The animal experiments were carried out according to the Ethics Committee of IUMS (Ethical code: IR.IUMS.REC.1393.24834) to use laboratory animals (following the National Institutes of Health Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: NIH Publication 1996). The efforts were made to minimize unnecessary pain and suffering within labs.
Funding
This project was supported financially by the grant (Code: 93-02-30-24834) by the Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Authors' contributions
Investigation, writing – original draft: Homa Rasoolijazi; Data analysis: Sattar Norouzi Ofogh; Funding acquisition and resources: Shima Ababzadeh, Mehdi Mehdizadeh, and Fatemeh Shabkhiz; Approving the final version for publication: All authors.
Conflict of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
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