The impact of a diphenyl diselenide-supplemented diet and aerobic exercise on memory of middle-aged rats

• (PhSe)2-supplemented diet and swimming exercise improved memory in middle-aged rats.
• (PhSe)2-supplemented diet and swimming exercise did not alter hippocampal p-CREB levels.
• Middle-aged rats in the swimming exercise group had the best performance in memory.

Selenium is an essential trace element for human health and has received attention for its role as a nutrient. The combination of exercise and nutrients has been proposed to promote health. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a diet supplemented with diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2 and swimming exercise on memory of middle-aged rats. Male Wistar rats (12 months) received standard diet chow supplemented with 1 ppm of (PhSe)2 for 4 weeks. Rats were submitted to swimming training (20 min per day for 4 weeks). After 4 weeks, memory was evaluated in the object recognition test (ORT) and in the object location test (OLT). The hippocampal levels of phosphorylated cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) were determined. The results of the present study demonstrated that the association of (PhSe)2-supplemented diet and swimming exercise improved short-term memory, long-term memory and spatial learning, and this effect was not related to the increase in hippocampal p-CREB levels in middle-age rats. This study also revealed that middle-aged rats in the swimming exercise group had the best performance in short- and long-term memory. In conclusion, we demonstrated that swimming exercise, (PhSe)2-supplemented diet or the association of these factors improved learning and memory functioning. The hippocampal levels of CREB were not directly related to the benefits of swimming exercise and (PhSe)2-supplemented diet association in memory of middle-aged rats.