title: Exercise reduces diet-induced cognitive decline and increases hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor in CA3 neurons.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have shown that a western diet impairs, whereas physical exercise enhances hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Both diet and exercise influence expression of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is associated with improved cognition. We hypothesized that exercise reverses diet-induced cognitive decline while increasing hippocampal BDNF.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test the effects of exercise on hippocampal-dependent memory, we compared cognitive scores of Sprague-Dawley rats exercised by voluntary running wheel (RW) access or forced treadmill (TM) to sedentary (Sed) animals. Memory was tested by two-way active avoidance test (TWAA), in which animals are exposed to a brief shock in a specific chamber area. When an animal avoids, escapes or has reduced latency to do either, this is considered a measure of memory. In a second experiment, rats were fed either a high-fat diet or control diet for 16 weeks, then randomly assigned to running wheel access or sedentary condition, and TWAA memory was tested once a week for 7 weeks of exercise intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups of exercised animals had improved memory as indicated by reduced latency to avoid and escape shock, and increased avoid and escape episodes (p<0.05). Exposure to a high-fat diet resulted in poor performance during both the acquisition and retrieval phases of the memory test as compared to controls. Exercise reversed high-fat diet-induced memory impairment, and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in neurons of the hippocampal CA3 region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that exercise improves memory retrieval, particularly with respect to avoiding aversive stimuli, and may be beneficial in protecting against diet induced cognitive decline, likely via elevated BDNF in neurons of the CA3 region.
authors.affiliation: Minnesota Obesity Center, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Emily E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Research Route 151, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA; Minnesota Obesity Center, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Vijayakumar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mavanji
authors.affiliation: Minnesota Obesity Center, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Morgan R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Little
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Research Route 151, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA; Minnesota Obesity Center, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 554553, USA.
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Billington
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Research Route 151, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA; Minnesota Obesity Center, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kotz
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Research Route 151, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA; Minnesota Obesity Center, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 1334 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA. Electronic address: cwang@umn.edu.
authors.forename: ChuanFeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D056654:CA3 Region, Hippocampal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: BDNF; High-fat diet; Hippocampus; Memory; Running wheel; Treadmill; Two-way active avoidance
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