title: NADPH-diaphorase histochemical changes in the hippocampus, cerebellum and striatum are correlated with different modalities of exercise and watermaze performances.
abstract: Nitric oxide is involved in memory and motor learning. We investigated possible influences of exercise on spatial memory and NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemical activity in the hippocampus, striatum and cerebellum. Fifteen albino Swiss mice between the 22nd and 55th post-natal days were exercised in the following modalities: voluntary (V), acrobatic (A), acrobatic/voluntary (AV) and forced (F) and compared to inactive group (I). After the exercise period, all subjects were tested in the water maze for 3 days. Animal brains were processed for NADPH-d histochemistry. Densitometry of the neuropil of the hippocampus, striatum and cerebellum and morphometric analysis of NADPHd+ type I neurons of the striatum were done. Exercise groups presented higher levels of NADPH-d activity in the molecular and polymorphic layers of dentate gyrus and lacunosum molecular layer of CA1. The A group presented higher NADPH-d activity in the cerebellar granular layer than all other groups. Branching points and dendritic segment densities of NADPH-d type I neurons were higher in V, A and AV than in F and I groups. Exercise groups revealed best performances on water maze tests. Thus, different modalities of exercise increases in different proportions for the nitrergic activity in the hippocampus, striatum and cerebellum, and these changes seem to be beneficial to spatial memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Bento
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Jarila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Assunção
authors.forename: José Augusto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kahwage
authors.forename: Nara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lins
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Passos
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quintairos
authors.forename: Nonata
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Trévia
authors.forename: Cristovam Wanderley Picanço
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Diniz
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000201:enzymology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000201:enzymology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase