title: Exercise during pregnancy increases hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA expression and spatial learning in neonatal rat pup.
abstract: Physical activities for a few days can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA in rat hippocampus. To investigate the influence of maternal exercise during pregnancy on rat pup hippocampal BDNF mRNA, we studied its expression by a semi-quantitative RT-PCR method after young pregnant rats were exercised on a motor driven treadmill. Pups of exercised mothers had significantly increased hippocampal BDNF mRNA expression compared to the control rat pups at birth (on postnatal day 0) (P<0.001). In contrast, hippocampal BDNF mRNA expression in pups of exercised mothers decreased significantly on postnatal day 28 (P<0.002). Spatial learning of rat pups was examined by multiple T maze training for 7 consecutive days between postnatal days 40 and 47. Pups of exercised mothers showed a significant increase in spatial learning ability as demonstrated by significant decreases in total time from starting to target and total number of errors as compared to age-matched control pups during the first 4 days of 7 consecutive days on multiple T maze training (P<0.05). Thus, physical exercise during gestation in pregnant mothers can increase hippocampal BDNF mRNA expression of postnatal pups and result in an improvement in spatial learning in pups from exercised dams.
authors: Neuro-Behavioral Biology Center, Institute of Science and Technology for Research and Development, Mahidol University, Salaya Campus, Nakornpathom 73170, Thailand.
authors: Panaree
authors: P
authors: Parnpiansil
authors: Nuanchan
authors: N
authors: Jutapakdeegul
authors: Thyon
authors: T
authors: Chentanez
authors: Naiphinich
authors: N
authors: Kotchabhakdi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D012333:RNA, Messenger