Protective Effects of Maternal Aerobic Exercise During Pregnancy on Seizure-Induced Motor Coordination Deficits in Preadolescent Male Offspring

Objective: Seizures during pregnancy are associated with adverse neonatal outcomes and impaired motor coordination (MC) in offspring. This study investigated the effects of maternal aerobic exercise on convulsive activity in pregnant mice exposed to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and its subsequent impact on MC in their preadolescent male offspring. Methods: Adult female ICR mice were randomly assigned to four groups: a saline control group, a PTZ-only group, an exercise+saline group, and a PTZ+exercise group. PTZ or saline was administered for 30 days before mating and throughout pregnancy. The exercise groups engaged in aerobic treadmill exercise from the 1st to the 20th day of gestation. MC in the preadolescent male offspring was evaluated using the rotarod test. Results: Prenatal exposure to maternal seizures induced by PTZ resulted in significant MC deficiencies in the preadolescent male offspring compared to the saline control group (p<0.05). Maternal aerobic exercise significantly reduced the duration of convulsive activity on gestational days 12 and 18 (p<0.05). Furthermore, aerobic exercise during pregnancy effectively counteracted the MC deficits caused by maternal seizures, restoring MC performance to levels comparable to the control group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that maternal aerobic exercise during pregnancy can serve as a supplementary therapeutic strategy to mitigate convulsive activity and prevent MC impairments in male offspring exposed to maternal seizures.