title: Maternal exercise reduces hyperthermia-induced apoptosis in developing mouse brain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hyperthermia-induced apoptosis is mediated by mitochondrial pathway, and is temporally correlated with alterations in mitochondrial morphology in neuroepithelial cells. In addition, regular exercise up-regulates heat shock proteins (HSPs) that inhibit apoptosis. However, embryo-protective effects of maternal exercise against heat exposure during pregnancy have not been fully understood yet.
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate the role of maternal exercise in protecting embryos from hyperthermia, we measured apoptosis-related factors and HSPs in Hsp70 knockout mouse embryos. Pregnant mice were divided into control, exercise, hyperthermia-after-exercise, and hyperthermia groups. Where appropriate the swimming exercise was performed for 5-10 min/day from embryonic day (ED) 1 to ED 8, and hyperthermia (43°C, 5 min) was induced on ED 8. To characterise the effects of maternal exercise on apoptosis-related factors and HSPs, we performed western blotting and transmission electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caspase-9, -7, -3 and Bax were down-regulated in the hyperthermia-after-exercise group and Bcl-2, Hsp27 and Hsp110 were up-regulated. The number of apoptotic cells was markedly reduced in the hyperthermia-after-exercise group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal exercise plays an important role in inhibiting apoptotic cell death in embryos against hyperthermic exposure during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joon Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sang Duk
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Sung Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yun Taek
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Sok
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Won Kyu
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology*; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D050957:HSP110 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009043:Motor Activity; D011247:Pregnancy; D013550:Swimming; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D050957:HSP110 Heat-Shock Proteins; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D020169:Caspases