Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (25): 5454-5468.doi: 10.12307/2025.503

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Exercise prevention and treatment of Parkinson’ s disease mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor: role and mechanism

Lei Senlin1, Chen Xiaoan1, Chen Ping1, Wang Zhaofeng1, 2   

  1. 1College of Physical Education, Jishou University, Jishou 416000, Hunan Province, China; 2School of Physical Education, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
  • Received:2024-03-22 Accepted:2024-04-26 Online:2025-09-08 Published:2024-12-30
  • Contact: Wang Zhaofeng, Master, Associate professor, College of Physical Education, Jishou University, Jishou 416000, Hunan Province, China; School of Physical Education, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
  • About author:Lei Senlin, Doctoral candidate, College of Physical Education, Jishou University, Jishou 416000, Hunan Province, China; Chen Xiaoan, PhD, Professor, College of Physical Education, Jishou University, Jishou 416000, Hunan Province, China Lei Senlin and Chen Xiaoan contributed equally to this article.
  • Supported by:
    Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation, No. 2021JJ30552 (to CP); Open Fund Project of National Key Research Base for Ethnic Sports, No. MZTY2203 (to CP); Key Scientific Research Project of Hunan Provincial Department of Education, No. 20A414 (to CP)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Exercise interventions, recognized for their economic and non-pharmaceutical efficacy, have demonstrated the potential to upregulate brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels, thereby offering a therapeutic approach to the prevention and management of Parkinson’s disease. However, the specific mechanisms by which exercise targeting brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression to delay Parkinson’s disease onset and progression are not clear. 
OBJECTIVE: To explore the interplay between brain-derived neurotrophic factor and Parkinson’s disease, to analyze the specific regulatory effect and mechanism of exercise on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the pathological state of Parkinson’s disease, to review the improvement effect of different exercise methods mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor on Parkinson’s disease, to clarify the potential mechanism of exercise therapy targeting brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the prevention and treatment of Parkinson’s disease, in order to provide a new theoretical basis for exercise prevention and treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted using “Parkinson’s disease, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neuroprotection, dopamine, neuronal apoptosis, neuroinflammation, and synaptic plasticity” as Chinese keywords, and “Parkinson’s disease, BDNF, neuroprotection, neuroinflammation, and synaptic plasticity” as English keywords. Databases including CNKI, WanFang Data, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles published up to February 2024. Totally 98 core articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Within the pathophysiological framework of Parkinson’s disease, exercise has been shown to stimulate the release of the myokine Irisin and to specifically enhance brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression, counteracting kynurenine pathway metabolic dysregulation. (2) Aerobic activities, notably specialized forms such as Running on a Wheel with Electrical Stimulation (rotarod walking exercise) in animals and Nordic Walking in humans, along with multimodal exercise regimens, have been demonstrated to significantly enhance brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression. This upregulation is instrumental in ameliorating the motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, brain-derived neurotrophic factor is implicated in the beneficial modulation of non-motor symptoms, including cognitive and sleep disturbances, through the practice of mind-body interventions like Tai Chi. (3) Exercise-induced high expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor exerts a neuroprotective effect through several mechanisms: By upregulating the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-10, nerve growth factor-beta, and transforming growth factor-beta, and concurrently downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta , thereby suppressing the activation of microglia via the inhibition of the nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway, leading to a reduction in neuroinflammatory responses; by augmenting the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase, which facilitates the synthesis and release of dopamine. This is complemented by the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-3 and glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta, preventing the hyperphosphorylation of alpha-synuclein at serine 129, thus counteracting abnormal neuronal apoptosis. By inducing long-term potentiation and promoting the robust expression of post-synaptic density protein 95 and synaptophysin, thereby enhancing synaptic plasticity and exerting a neuroprotective influence that may delay the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease. (4) Considering the pivotal role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in Parkinson’s disease progression and treatment, targeted exercise therapies could advance “Exercise + Medicine” precision medicine for Parkinson’s disease. However, current research is limited by a narrow focus on motor symptoms and a lack of diverse exercise protocols. There is a need for more comprehensive, longitudinal studies using varied exercise modalities to better understand and address non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients to improve the lack of research in the field of Parkinson’s disease exercise prevention and treatment. 

Key words: exercise, Parkinson’s disease, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neuroprotection, neuroinflammation, dopamine, alpha-synuclein, synaptic plasticity, neuronal apoptosis, non-motor symptom

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