Effects of rehabilitation training on apoptosis of nerve cells and the recovery of neural and motor functions in rats with ischemic stroke through the PI3K/Akt and Nrf2/ARE signaling pathways.

This study was designed in order to investigate the effects between rehabilitation training on the apoptosis of nerve cells and the recovery of neural and motor functions of rats with ischemic stroke by way of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2/antioxidant responsive element (Nrf2/ARE) signaling pathways. In total, 110 healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were selected in order to take part in this study. Ninety SD rats were used in order to establish the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), among which 80 rats were randomly assigned as part of the natural recovery, natural recovery+Rp-PI3K (the rats injected with PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002), rehabilitation training, and rehabilitation training+Rp-PI3K groups. Meanwhile, 20 rats were selected as part of the sham operation group. The neural and motor functions of these rats were evaluated using a balance beam test and the Bederson score. The mRNA expressions of PI3K, Akt, Nrf2 and HO-1 were measured using an RT-qPCR. The protein expressions of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, Nrf2 and HO-1 were also detected by using western blotting and the immunohistochemistry process. The cell cycle and cell apoptosis were detected by using a flow cytometry and TUNEL assay. The sham operation group exhibited lower neural and motor function scores than other groups. At the 7, 14, and 21 d marks of this study, the neural and motor function scores were increased in the natural recovery, natural recovery+Rp-PI3K, and rehabilitation training+Rp-PI3K groups in comparison with the rehabilitation training group but found to be decreased in the natural recovery group in comparison with the natural recovery+Rp-PI3K group. In comparison with the sham operation group, expressions of PI3K, Nrf2 and HO-1, and proportions of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt were all higher in the natural recovery, rehabilitation training, and rehabilitation training+Rp-PI3K groups. Same trends were found in the rehabilitation training group in comparison with the natural recovery and rehabilitation training+Rp-PI3K groups, as well as in the natural recovery group in comparison with the natural recovery+Rp-PI3K group. In comparison with the sham operation and rehabilitation training groups, hippocampal nerve cells at G1 phase and the cells apoptosis were both elevated in the other three groups which were found to be decreased in the natural recovery group in comparison with the natural recovery+Rp-PI3K group. Our results indicated that the rehabilitation training can inhibit the apoptosis of nerve cells as well as promote the recovery of both neural Rehabilitation training in rats with IS.