Introduction: Diabetes is associated with different neurological disorders in the nervous system that will eventually lead to cell damage. The previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of exercise on brain damage caused by diabetic neuropathy in animal models. In the present study, the effect of aerobic exercise training on cell death in the hippocampal CA1 area neurons in diabetic male rats was investigated.

Materials & methods: 21 adult male Wistar rats (weighing 260-300 g) were purchased from Tehran Pasteur Institute and were randomly divided into three groups: sham group, diabetic group and diabetic + exercise training group (7 rats per group). Diabetes was induced intraperitoneally streptozotocin (STZ) administration at the dose of 60mg/kg. The diabetes criterion was the blood glucose level higher than 250 mg/dl. One week after induction of diabetes, the rats in exercise training group were trained to run on a treadmill 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Necrotic cell death was detected by Nissl staining and apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining.

Findings: The results showed that aerobic exercise training significantly reduced the diabetes-induced necrotic cell death (p<0.01) and apoptosis (p<0.05) in the hippocampal CA1 area neurons.

Discussion & conclusions: This study showed that aerobic exercise training has neuroprotective effects against diabetic neuropathy. This neuroprotective mechanism of exercise can be an effective way to reduce cerebral complications of diabetes.