Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) induces muscle atrophy by altering apoptosis-autophagy pathways. Pharmacological and exercise interventions can mitigate SCI complications. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise, resveratrol supplementation, and their combination on the levels of the apoptotic pathway proteins BAX and BCL2.



Forty rats were divided into one healthy group and four SCI groups. The SCI groups were subjected to the following interventions: control, aerobic exercise, resveratrol supplementation, and combined aerobic exercise with resveratrol supplementation. Interventions commenced 14 days post-injury induction and lasted for eight weeks. Aerobic exercise training was performed for 58 minutes at a speed of 20 m/min. The rats were supplemented by a 10 mg dose administered via intraperitoneal injection.



The results showed that SCI significantly decreased BCL2 protein levels and the BCL2/BAX ratio, while significantly increasing BAX levels. Furthermore, eight weeks of aerobic exercise and the combined intervention (exercise + resveratrol) significantly increased BCL2 levels and the BCL2/BAX ratio. Resveratrol supplementation, both with and without exercise, elevated BCL2 levels and the BCL2/BAX ratio more significantly than exercise alone. However, BAX protein levels decreased in response to all interventions. The results also indicated that the combined exercise and resveratrol intervention significantly increased BCL2 and the BCL2/BAX ratio compared to either exercise or supplementation alone. Additionally,

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These findings suggest that aerobic exercise, resveratrol supplementation, and their combination can inhibit apoptosis by modulating the levels of key proteins involved in this pathway in rats with spinal cord injury.