Journal of Nutrition,Fasting and Health

Journal of Nutrition,Fasting and Health

The Effect of Aerobic Exercise and Resveratrol on OPA1 and DRP1 in Hippocampus Tissue of Rats with Alzheimer's disease

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mahla Hosseini Tabatabaei
Saqqa Farajtabar Behrestaq
Babisan Askari
Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, QaS.C., Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran.
10.22038/jnfh.2026.91824.1601
Abstract
Introduction: Mitochondrial abnormalities with impaired mitochondrial function play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mitochondrial metabolism in the brain is modulated by exercise activity and resveratrol (RSV). The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of aerobic exercise and resveratrol on hippocampal mitochondrial dynamics in rats with Alzheimer's disease.
Methods: In this experimental study, 35 eight-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: normal (NO), Alzheimer's (AD), Alzheimer's-training (ADT), Alzheimer's-resveratrol (ADRSV), and Alzheimer's-training-resveratrol (ADTRSV). The supplement groups received 20 mg RSV (per kg body weight) orally daily during the intervention period. The aerobic exercise program included treadmill running at a speed of 6-18 m/min, five days a week for eight weeks. For statistical analysis, differences between the NO and AD groups were assessed using an independent samples t-test. The effects of aerobic training, resveratrol supplementation, and their interaction were evaluated using two-way analysis of variance (two-way ANOVA), followed by the Bonferroni post hoc test. Effect sizes were reported as partial eta squared (η²), and statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.
Results: AD induction caused a significant decrease in OPA1 expression and an increase in DRP1 expression compared with the NO group (p=0.0001). Aerobic exercise significantly increased OPA1 expression (p=0.001, η²=0.401) and decreased DRP1 expression (p=0.0001, η²=0.546). Resveratrol supplementation also significantly increased OPA1 expression (p=0.001, η²=0.379) and decreased DRP1 expression (p=0.0001, η²=0.490). No significant interaction was observed between exercise and resveratrol for either OPA1 (p=0.962, η²=0.000) or DRP1 (p=0.988, η²=0.000).
Conclusion: Mitochondrial dynamics are disrupted following induction of AD in hippocampal tissue, and exercise and resveratrol reduce the gap by increasing OPA1 levels and decreasing DRP. However, the combination of exercise and resveratrol did not have a synergistic effect on fission genes.
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease
OPA1
DRP1
Aerobic exercise
Resveratrol
Subjects
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Journal of Nutrition,Fasting and Health

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 30 September 2026

  • Receive Date 07 October 2025
  • Revise Date 30 August 2026
  • Accept Date 27 September 2026