Physical exercise prevents age-related decline in precursor cell activity in the mouse dentate gyrus.
Physical activity induces adult hippocampal neurogenesis. We here show that the acute up-regulating effect of voluntary wheel running on precursor cell proliferation decreases with continued exercise, but that continued exercise reduces the age-dependent decline in adult neurogenesis. Cell proliferation peaked at 3 days of running. After 32 days of exercise this response returned to baseline. Running-induced proliferation of transiently amplifying progenitor cells led to a consecutive increase in the number of more mature cells. Increasing age reduced adult neurogenesis at 9 months to 50% of the value at 6 weeks and to 17% at the age of 2 years. At both 1 and 2 years, precursor cell divisions remained inducible by physical activity. Exercise from 3 to 9 months of age significantly reduced the age-dependent decline in cell proliferation but (presumably in the absence of additional stimuli) did not maintain net neurogenesis at levels corresponding to a younger age. We propose that physical activity might contribute to successful aging by increasing the potential for neurogenesis represented by the pool of proliferating precursor cells.
Kronenberg
Golo
G
Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin-Buch, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany.
Bick-Sander
Anika
A
Bunk
Eva
E
Wolf
Claudia
C
Ehninger
Dan
D
Kempermann
Gerd
G
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002529:Cerebellar Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*