5; 485.1 ± 37.3; 89.8 ± 2.5 respectively; P < 0.001), 60 (521.5 ± 11.5; 512 ± 17.6; 88.8 ± 2.2 respectively; P < 0.001) and 90 (514.7 ± 18.7; 500.7 ± 22.4; 94 ± 2.7 respectively; P < 0.001) days later. However, there were no differences between the D and TD groups in any of these variables (P > 0.05; Table 1). Animals from group D presented a lower latency to fall (37.5 ± 3.2) as compared to those in the C (56.6 ± 1.7; P < 0.001) and TD groups (53.4 ± 2.3; P < 0.001). There were no differences between selleck the C and TD groups (P > 0.05; Fig. 1a). In addition, the D group (4.2 ± 0.3) was seen to fall more frequently than the C (0.8 ± 0.3; P < 0.001) and
TD (1.7 ± 0.5; P < 0.001) groups. However, there were no differences between the C and TD groups (P > 0.05; Fig. 1b). The number of squares crossed by animals from the D group (10.1 ± 1.4) was lower than in the C (22.1 ± 3.5; P < 0.05) and TD groups (29.4 ± 3.9; P < 0.001). There were no differences between the C and TD groups (P > 0.05; Fig. 2a). Furthermore, in the open field, the D group spent less
time (15.3 ± 2.4) moving than the C (33.7 ± 3.1; P < 0.05) and TD groups (34.2 ± 4.8; P < 0.001). There selleck screening library were no differences between the C and TD groups (P > 0.05; Fig. 2b). The D group was seen to rear (3.1 ± 0.6) less frequently than the C (6.0 ± 1.1; P < 0.05) and TD (5.9 ± 0.6; P < 0.05) next groups. There were no differences between the C and TD groups (P > 0.05; Fig. 2c). The OD analysis of the VTA showed that the TH-ir was lower in the neurons and processes from the D group (0.44 ± 0.01) than in group C (0.51 ± 0.01; P < 0.05). However, there were no differences between the TD (0.5 ± 0.02) and C groups (P = 1.0), or between the TD and D groups
(P = 0.08; Fig. 3a). Interestingly, the OD analysis of the SNpc showed that the TH-ir of neurons and processes in the D group (0.35 ± 0.01) was lower than in the C (0.42 ± 0.01; P < 0.05) and TD groups (0.43 ± 0.01; P < 0.05). However, there were no differences between C and TD groups (P > 0.05; Fig. 3b). Images from the groups are shown in Fig. 3c. The present study showed that treadmill training alone, with no pharmacological intervention, can reverse the loss of motor skills previously induced by STZ in rats, an improvement that was associated with tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity changes in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area. As expected, diabetic rats induced by STZ displayed higher blood glucose levels and lower body weights when compared to control animals. The treadmill training did not reduce blood glucose nor body weights, which is in accordance with previous results from our (do Nascimento et al., 2010) and other group (Midaoui et al., 2006), showing that physical training alone is not able to significantly improve metabolic control in these animals.