OBJECTIVE: To investigate the change rule of rat motor function with increasing age, and the improvement effect of exercise on the motor function of elderly rats.
Methods: 26-month-old, 8-month-old and 2-month-old SD rats were subjected to moderate-intensity treadmill exercise intervention for 2 weeks. Four functional indicators of forelimb pulling force, endurance, body upward mobility and limit speed were measured before and after exercise. , for a comparative analysis.
Results: ① The forelimb pulling force, endurance, body upward mobility, and ultimate speed of the 26-month-old rat group were significantly lower than those of the 8-month-old and 2-month-old groups, and the latter three indicators showed an age-related decline; ② The 26-month-old and The forelimb tensile force in the 8-month-old group was higher than that before the exercise, and the upward mobility of the body in the 8-month-old group and the 2-month-old group was higher than that before the exercise; The 26-month-old group was significantly higher after exercise than before exercise.
CONCLUSION: The four motor function indexes of rats, including forelimb pulling force, endurance, body upward mobility and extreme speed, show a decline with age, which can be used as aging indicators of rat motor function. Moderate-intensity treadmill exercise can significantly improve the decline of total motor function in aged rats.