Treadmill exercise prevents aging-induced failure of memory through an increase in neurogenesis and suppression of apoptosis in rat hippocampus.
Aging leads to functional changes in the hippocampus, and consequently induces cognitive deficits, such as failure of memory. Neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus continues throughout life, but steadily declines from early adulthood. Apoptosis occurs under various pathologic and physiologic conditions, and excessive apoptotic cell death can cause a number of functional disorders in humans. Apoptosis in the hippocampus also disturbs cognitive functions. In this study, we examined the effect of treadmill exercise on memory in relation to neurogensis and apoptosis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of old-aged rats. The present results showed that loss of memory by aging was associated with a decrease in neurogenesis and an increase in apoptosis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Treadmill exercise improved short-term and spatial memories by enhancing neurogenesis and suppressing apoptosis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of old-aged rats. In the present study, we showed that treadmill exercise is a very useful strategy for preventing failure of memory in the elderly.
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sung-Eun
SE
Kim
Il-Gyu
IG
Ko
Bo-Kyun
BK
Kim
Mal-Soon
MS
Shin
Sehyung
S
Cho
Chang-Ju
CJ
Kim
Sang-Hun
SH
Kim
Seung-Soo
SS
Baek
Eun-Kyu
EK
Lee
Yong-Seok
YS
Jee
D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein / Q000032:analysis; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000032:analysis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000032:analysis; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000254:growth & development; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055495:Neurogenesis; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000032:analysis
D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; C494828:Bax protein, rat; C494816:Bid protein, rat; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D053148:Caspase 3