Background: The Amyloid beta (Aβ) level increases in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of eight weeks continuous training with low and high intensities on Aβ_1-42 levels in hippocampus of Alzheimer model rats.

Materials and Methods: Fifty male Wistar rats (12 weeks old and mean weight 219.82±13.10 g) were divided into five groups including: healthy control, Alzheimer’s control, Alzheimer's low-intensity training, Alzheimer's high-intensity training and sham. To induce Alzheimer's disease, homocysteine is infused into the rats cerebroventricular (dose of 0.6M). Low intensity groups trained with 20m/min (50-55% VO₂max) and high-intensity groups trained with 27m/min (75-80% VO₂max), 60min/day, and five days per week on the treadmill. For data analysis, one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test were performed (p<0.05).

Results: The Aβ_1-42 levels in hippocampus of Alzheimer's control group was significantly higher than healthy control group (p=0.001) and in training groups with both low and high intensity was significantly lower than Alzheimer's control group (p=0.02). But no significant differences were found between two intensity (p=0.99).

Conclusion: It seems that continuous exercise training, through reducing the level of Aβ_1-42 in hippocampus, can be useful for Alzheimer’s disease model rats and continuous training can be studied as a complementary therapy in Alzheimer's disease.

Background:  Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating psychiatric disorder affecting 1% of the population worldwide. As for key role of free radicals in the development of this disease and that Quince leaf is a natural source of antioxidant substances, this study was aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Quince leaf extract on locomotor activity and anxiety-like behaviors by an intraperitoneal injection of ketamine in male mice in a ketamine model of schizophrenia.

Materials and Methods: In the experimental research, male adult mice were divided into six groups including: control, Sham (received water orally and saline intraperitoneally), psychosis group (received 10 mg/kg/day ketamine i.p. for 10 days) and treated psychosis groups (received 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg/day). Treated groups received hydroalcoholic Quince leaf extract orally for 3 weeks before injection of ketamine. Extract gavages continue for 5 days after the last ketamine injection. Locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavioral changes were measured in the open-field test.

Results: The results showed that chronic administration of ketamine increases horizontal locomotor activity and anxiety like behaviors (p≤0.001) and pretreatment of Quince leaf extract effectively decreases horizontal locomotor activity (p<0.001) and increases duration that spends in middle area of Open field (p<0.01) and vertical ocomotor activity(p<0.001).

Conclusion: The results of this research showed that chronic administration of Quince leaf extract improves locomotor disorder and induced anxiety-like behaviors by having antioxidant properties in a ketamine model of schizophrenia.