INFLUENCE OF PREVIOUS RESISTANCE EXERCISE ON SEIZURE SUSCEPTIBILITY IN RATS

• Grant number: 25/23791-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2026
• End date: March 31, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Mario Arida
• Grantee: Ricardo Mario Arida
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo
• Associated researchers: Augusto Coppi ; Kátia de Angelis Lobo D Avila ; Miriam Galvonas Jasiulionis

Abstract

Clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of aerobic exercise programs as a complementary therapy for epilepsy. Among the benefits, regular exercise can reduce the number of seizures, as well as improve the physical and mental health and quality of life of people with epilepsy. These positive effects are also evident before the onset of epilepsy. For instance, studies indicate that an aerobic exercise program before the administration of convulsive medications reduces seizure susceptibility or prevents the development of epilepsy. Although the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise are well described in the literature, it is still unclear whether other types of physical exercise, such as strength training, before the administration of convulsants, reduce seizure susceptibility or prevent the development of epilepsy. Resistance training is among the most widely practiced physical exercise modalities among individuals with and without chronic diseases, as it is associated with favorable changes in cardiovascular and metabolic function, muscle strength, increased bone mass, and psychosocial well-being. In the first part of this project, we aim to investigate the influence of a resistance exercise program prior to a brain insult. To this end, we will analyze the effect of a resistance exercise program on seizure susceptibility induced by a single i.p. injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) and in the PTZ-kindling model. Despite the beneficial influence of physical exercise on the developing nervous system during gestation, it is unclear whether resistance exercise during prenatal brain development can reduce susceptibility to brain insult in the postnatal period. Therefore, the second part of this project will investigate the impact of a resistance exercise program during gestation on seizure susceptibility in the early and late postnatal period of the offspring. The third part of this project will investigate the impact of physical exercise throughout the entire period of brain development, that is, during gestation and adolescence into adulthood. Behavioral, morphological, and functional analyses of the brain will be performed in all three parts of this project. We believe this research will contribute to a better understanding of resistance exercise in reducing seizure susceptibility and preventing epilepsy, as well as its underlying neurobiological mechanisms. (AU)