Effect of Physical Activity on the Gene Expression of Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 and Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase in the Cerebellum of Female Mice with Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Background and Aim: Induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is associated with an overexpression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and exacerbation of clinical symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the effect of physical activity on the gene expression of IDO1 and arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) in the cerebellum of the mice with EAE. Materials and Methods: 30 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups of 10: healthy control, EAE control, and physical activity in the enriched environment. Mice were placed in an enriched environment after induction of EAE with MOG35-55 for 4 weeks and then the cerebellum tissue was dissected and the expression of IDO1 and AANAT genes were measured by real time-PCR method in all three groups. Analysis of variance test was used for data analysis at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: The group with physical activity in an enriched environment showed significant reduction in the gene expression of IDO1 (P = 0.02) and AANAT (P = 0.04) genes, and also significantly reduced the clinical score (P = 0.001) compared to the EAE group. Conclusion: Changing the environment and lifestyle in the enriched environment can prevent the progression of the autoimmune diseases such as MS, through downregulation of the expression of the IDO1 and AANAT genes.