Combined aerobic and resistance exercise was able to reduce inflammatory cytokines and oxidative markers in the hippocampus of Wistar rats subjected to an epileptic seizure protocol.

The practice of physical exercise by people with epilepsy still faces resistance, despite evidence supporting its benefits. However, the effects of combining exercise with anti-inflammatory drugs remain unclear. This study evaluated the impact of physical exercise, alone or with prednisolone, on seizure parameters and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in the cortex and hippocampus of Wistar rats subjected to chemically induced seizures. A kindling model using pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) was applied over 14 alternate days. Animals were divided into four groups: sedentary (SED), diazepam (DZP), exercise + prednisolone (EP), and exercise + saline (ES). Exercise groups performed alternating aerobic and resistance training during the protocol. Behavioral assessments included seizure severity (Racine scale), latency, and occurrence. Tissue analyses measured cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10) and oxidative markers (ROS, nitrites, sulfhydryl content, TBARS). No significant behavioral differences were found between the exercise and sedentary groups. As expected, DZP reduced seizure severity, latency, and occurrence. The EP group showed reduced hippocampal TNF-α compared to DZP (p = 0.029), and lower ROS (p = 0.030), nitrites (p < 0.01), and sulfhydryl content (p = 0.023). Conversely, ES animals had higher IL-1β levels in cortex and hippocampus versus DZP and EP, suggesting a pro-inflammatory effect of exercise alone. TBARS levels were unchanged. These findings indicate that while exercise alone did not alter seizure outcomes, its combination with prednisolone yielded anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in the hippocampus. This suggests that combined interventions may modulate neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, offering potential non-pharmacological strategies to support epilepsy treatment.