title: Treadmill exercise prevents learning and memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease-like pathology.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by progressive memory loss. In contrast, accumulating evidence suggests a neuroprotective role of regular exercise in aging associated memory impairment. In this study, we investigated the ability of regular exercise to prevent impairments of short-term memory (STM) and early long-term potentiation (E-LTP) in area CA1 of the hippocampus in a rat model of AD (i.c.v. infusion of 250 pmol/day Aβ1-42 peptides). We utilized behavioral assessment, in vivo electrophysiological recording, and immunoblotting in 4 groups of adult Wistar rats: control, treadmill exercise (Ex), β-amyloid-infused (Aβ), and amyloid-infused/treadmill exercised (Ex/Aβ). Our findings indicated that Aβ rats made significantly more errors in the radial arm water maze (RAWM) compared to all other groups and exhibited suppressed E-LTP in area CA1, which correlated with deleterious alterations in the levels of memory and E-LTP-related signaling molecules including calcineurin (PP2B), brain derivedneurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated CaMKII (p-CaMKII). Compared to controls, Ex and Ex/Aβ rats showed a similar behavioral performance and a normal E-LTP with no detrimental changes in the levels of PP2B, BDNF, and p- CaMKII. We conclude that treadmill exercise maybe able to prevent cognitive impairment associated with AD pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of PPS, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5037, USA.
authors.forename: An T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Dao
authors.affiliation: Texas Southern University Department of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Health Sciences Houston, TX 77004
authors.forename: Munder A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zagaar
authors.forename: Amber T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Samina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salim
authors.forename: Jason L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Eriksen
authors.forename: Karim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Alkadhi
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000633:toxicity; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000473:pathology; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000378:metabolism; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005080:Exercise Test; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000633:toxicity; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D019703:Calcineurin