Treadmill exercise improves short-term memory by suppressing ischemia-induced apoptosis of neuronal cells in gerbils.
In the present study, the effect of treadmill exercise on short-term memory, apoptotic neuronal cell death, and cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus following transient global ischemia in gerbils was investigated. Step-down inhibitory avoidance task, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) were used. Ischemia was induced by the occlusion of both common carotid arteries (CCA) of gerbils for 5 min. Gerbils in exercise groups were forced to run on a treadmill for 30 min once a day for 10 consecutive days. Such treadmill exercise improved short-term memory by suppressing the ischemia-induced apoptotic neuronal cell death in the dentate gyrus. In addition, treadmill running suppressed the ischemia-induced cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus. The present results suggest that treadmill exercise overcomes the ischemia-induced apoptotic neuronal cell death and thus facilitates the recovery following ischemic cerebral injury.
Sim
Young-Je
YJ
Research Institute of Sports Science, Korea University, #15-Ka Anam-dong, Sungbuk-ku, Seoul 136-701, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Sung-Soo
SS
Kim
Jee-Youn
JY
Shin
Mal-Soon
MS
Kim
Chang-Ju
CJ
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology*; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D005849:Gerbillinae; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*
D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine