title: The effects of exercise intensity on p-NR2B expression in cerebral ischemic rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current study explored the effects of treadmill exercise intensity on functional recovery and hippocampal phospho-NR2B (p-NR2B) expression in cerebral ischemic rats, induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups, including sham, no exercise (NE), low intensity training (LIT, v = 15 m/min), and moderate intensity training groups (MIT, v = 20 m/min). At different time points, the hippocampal expressions of p-NR2B and total NR2B were examined. In addition, neurological deficit score (NDS), body weight, and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining were used to evaluate brain infarct volume as assessments of post-stroke functional recovery. In order to investigate the effect of exercise on survival, the mortality rate was also recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that treadmill exercise significantly decreased hippocampal expression of p-NR2B but didn't change the total NR2B, compared to the NE group on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th days following MCAO surgery. The effect on changes in p-NR2B levels, body weight, and brain infarct volume were more significant in the LIT compared to the MIT group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current findings demonstrate that physical exercise can produce neuroprotective effects, in part by down-regulating p-NR2B expression. Furthermore, the appropriate intensity of physical exercise is critical for post-stroke rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Anjing
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yulong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Yongshan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; C009591:triphenyltetrazolium