The effects of treadmill training on young and mature rats after traumatic peripheral nerve lesion

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of a treadmill training program on regeneration in young (3-month-old) and mature (13-month-old) rats with sciatic nerve crush using functional, electrophysiological, and morphometric analyses. When compared to both the young and mature untrained injury groups, those groups that underwent a treadmill training showed improved sensorimotor function evaluated by narrow beam test (p < 0.04 and p < 0.001, respectively), while muscle action potential amplitude was only greater in the young group (p < 0.02). The treadmill training program was able to reduce myelinated fiber density in the young group (p < 0.001), which appeared to increase after nerve injury (poly-innervation), but decreased with training, which means that the innervation became more functional. The data indicate that treadmill training is able to promote functional, electrophysiological and morphological recovery in young animals. However, in mature animals, improvement was only seen in terms of functional recovery.

► The aging process slows nerve regeneration after nerve crush injury. ► Treadmill training improves peripheral nerve regeneration in young rats. ► Aging process rats submitted to a nerve injury showed an increase of functionality after treadmill training.