title: Neuroprotective effect of exercise in rat hippocampal slices submitted to in vitro ischemia is promoted by decrease of glutamate release and pro-apoptotic markers.
abstract: The role of physical exercise as a neuroprotective agent against ischemic injury has been extensively discussed. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the effects of physical exercise on cerebral ischemia remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that physical exercise increases ischemic tolerance by decreasing the induction of cellular apoptosis and glutamate release. Rats (n = 50) were submitted to a swimming exercise protocol for 8 weeks. Hippocampal slices were then submitted to oxygen and glucose deprivation. Cellular viability, pro-apoptotic markers (Caspase 8, Caspase 9, Caspase 3, and apoptosis-inducing factor), and glutamate release were analyzed. The percentage of cell death, the amount of glutamate release, and the expression of the apoptotic markers were all decreased in the exercise group when compared to the sedentary group after oxygen and glucose deprivation. Our results suggest that physical exercise protects hippocampal slices from the effects of oxygen and glucose deprivation, probably by a mechanism involving both the decrease of glutamatergic excitotoxicity and apoptosis induction.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Neurociências (NNC), Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávio Afonso Gonçalves
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Mourão
authors.forename: Hércules Ribeiro
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Luciana Estefani Drumond
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Talita Hélen
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ferreira E Vieira
authors.forename: Mauro Cunha Xavier
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Castro Medeiros
authors.forename: Ian Lara Lamounier
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Daniela Fontes
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Grace Schenatto
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Márcio Flávio
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dutra Moraes
authors.forename: André Ricardo
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Massensini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051033:Apoptosis Inducing Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D051033:Apoptosis Inducing Factor; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D020169:Caspases
keywords: apoptosis; exercise; glucose deprivation; glutamate; ischemia; oxygen