title: GH mediates exercise-dependent activation of SVZ neural precursor cells in aged mice.
abstract: Here we demonstrate, both in vivo and in vitro, that growth hormone (GH) mediates precursor cell activation in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the aged (12-month-old) brain following exercise, and that GH signaling stimulates precursor activation to a similar extent to exercise. Our results reveal that both addition of GH in culture and direct intracerebroventricular infusion of GH stimulate neural precursor cells in the aged brain. In contrast, no increase in neurosphere numbers was observed in GH receptor null animals following exercise. Continuous infusion of a GH antagonist into the lateral ventricle of wild-type animals completely abolished the exercise-induced increase in neural precursor cell number. Given that the aged brain does not recover well after injury, we investigated the direct effect of exercise and GH on neural precursor cell activation following irradiation. This revealed that physical exercise as well as infusion of GH promoted repopulation of neural precursor cells in irradiated aged animals. Conversely, infusion of a GH antagonist during exercise prevented recovery of precursor cells in the SVZ following irradiation.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Blackmore
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vukovic
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Perry F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Bartlett
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin; D013006:Growth Hormone