Iranian Journal of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology · Apr 2026
The Effect of Aerobic Exercise Combined with Resveratrol Supplementation on Hippocampal Wnt/β-Catenin Gene Expression in Alzheimer's-Afflicted Rats
By Ranjbar M, Naghibzadeh M, Abdi A et al.
Background and Objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of age-related dementia, characterized by cognitive impairment and memory deficits.Studies have indicated that dysregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays a significant role in AD pathogenesis.The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of aerobic exercise combined with resveratrol supplementation on Wnt/β-Catenin gene expression in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's model rats. Materials and Methods:In this experimental study, 35 male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: Control (NO), Alzheimer's (AD), Alzheimer's-Training (ADT), Alzheimer's-Resveratrol (ADRSV) and Alzheimer's-Training-Resveratrol (ADTRSV).Beta-42-1 amyloid was used to induce Alzheimer's.The ADRSV and ADTRSV groups received daily resveratrol (20 mg/kg) orally during the intervention period.The eight-week aerobic exercise program consisted of treadmill running performed at speeds of 6-18 meters per minute per session, five days per week.All samples were anesthetized with chloroform and sacrificed under identical conditions at baseline (48 hours after the last exercise session and following a 12-14 hour fast).Wnt/β-catenin gene expression was measured using real-time PCR.Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test at a significance level of p<0.05.Results: AD induction caused a significant decrease in Wnt and β-Catenin expression compared to the NO group (p=0.0001).Exercise and RSV administration significantly increased Wnt expression (p=0.025 and p=0.045, respectively) and β-Catenin expression (p=0.015 and p=0.021, respectively) compared to the AD group.Furthermore, a significant increase in Wnt and β-Catenin expression levels was observed in the ADTRSV group compared to both the ADT group (p=0.027 and p=0.026, respectively) and the ADRSV group (p=0.014 and p=0.018, respectively). Conclusion:Considering the results of the study that show the protective effects of physical activity and RSV on the regulation of hippocampal neurogenesis through the Wnt signaling pathway in the hippocampus of mice with AD, these two therapeutic methods can be used to improve neurodegenerative diseases such as AD.