EFFECT OF EXERCISE TRAINING ON ACUTE (CRUSH LESION) AND CHRONIC (DIABETES-MELLITUS) PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY IN THE RAT

The effect of moderate exercise training on acute and chronic neuropat hy in two separate experiments was examined. Acute nerve dysfunction w as induced by sciatic nerve crush lesion and chronic neuropathy by str eptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (experimental diabetic neuropath y; EDN). Moderate exercise training was achieved by placing food and w ater, separately, at either end of a U-shaped tubular home cage (8 m). Recovery from the crush lesion and the development of EDN were monito red by evaluating the free walking pattern and nerve conduction veloci ty (NCV), respectively. In the acute neuropathy model, 24 days of exer cise after the crush lesion resulted in an enhanced return of motor fu nction in the early phase of recovery (P < 0.01) and an increased sens ory NCV after 250 days in the late phase (P < 0.001). Diabetic rats be nefited from this exercise training by showing fewer signs of EDN, as evidenced by a superior motor function (toespreading, calculated from the free walking pattern; P < 0.05) and an improvement in both motor a nd sensory NCV (both P < 0.05). We conclude that moderate exercise tra ining is effective in enhancing recovery from acute peripheral neuropa thy and in ameliorating the consequences of experimental chronic neuro pathy in diabetic rats.