Effect of eight weeks of aerobic training and garlic supplementation on gene expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha and mitochondrial transcription factor A in brain tissue of elderly rats with Parkinson\'s disease

Background and Aim: Mitochondrial dysfunction in brain tissue plays a significant role in the development of Parkinson's disease. This study aimed to assess the effects of 8 weeks of aerobic training and garlic supplementation on the gene expression of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1-a) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) in the brain tissue of elderly rats with Parkinson's disease. Methods: In this experimental study, 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups: 1) healthy control (HC), 2) Parkinson's control (Res), 3) Parkinson's-aerobic exercise (AT), 4) Parkinson-garlic supplement (G), and 5) Parkinson-aerobic exercise-garlic supplement (AT+G). Parkinson's disease was induced by injecting 2 mg/kg of reserpine. Aerobic training was conducted five times a week, with each session lasting 15-48 minutes at speeds ranging from 10 to 24 meters per minute over 8 weeks. The supplement groups received a daily dose of 500 mg/kg of garlic via gavage. The gene expression of PGC1-a and TFAM in brain tissue was assessed using real-time PCR. Results: The expression of the PGC1-a gene in the G, AT, and AT+G groups was significantly higher than that in the Res group, with the AT+G group showing significantly higher expression than the G group (P=0.001). TFAM gene expression in the AT (P=0.005) and AT+G (P=0.001) groups was significantly higher than in the Res group, with the AT+G group exhibiting higher expression compared to the G and AT groups (P=0.001). Conclusion: The results suggest that the combination of exercise and garlic supplementation may have additive or synergistic effects on mitochondrial health and function in Parkinson's disease.