title: Physical Exercise Restores the Generation of Newborn Neurons in an Animal Model of Chronic Epilepsy.
abstract: Neurogenesis impairment is associated with the chronic phase of the epilepsy in humans and also observed in animal models. Recent studies with animal models have shown that physical exercise is capable of improving neurogenesis in adult subjects, alleviating cognitive impairment and depression. Here, we show that there is a reduction in the generation of newborn granule cells in the dentate gyrus of adult rats subjected to a chronic model of epilepsy during thepostnatalperiod of brain development. We also show that the physical exercise was capable to restore the number of newborn granule cells in this animals to the level observed in the control group. Notably, a larger number of newborn granule cells exhibiting morphological characteristics indicative of correct targeting into the hippocampal circuitry and the absence of basal dendrite projections was also observed in the epileptic animals subjected to physical exercise compared to the epileptic animals. The results described here could represent a positive interference of the physical exercise on the neurogenesis process in subjects with chronic epilepsy. The results may also help to reinterpret the benefits of the physical exercise in alleviating symptoms of depression and cognitive dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neurociência Experimental e Computacional, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei São João del-Rei, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabricio N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neurociência Experimental e Computacional, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei São João del-Rei, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz E C
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neurociência Experimental e Computacional, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei São João del-Rei, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônio M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Cérebro, Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinSão Paulo, Brazil; Núcleo de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Universidade de Mogi das CruzesMogi das Cruzes, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gomes da Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Arida
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neurociência Experimental e Computacional, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei São João del-Rei, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gilcélio A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: da Silveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neurociência Experimental e Computacional, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, Universidade Federal de São João del-ReiSão João del-Rei, Brazil; Disciplina de Neurologia Experimental, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fulvio A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Scorza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neurociência Experimental e Computacional, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei São João del-Rei, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônio-Carlos G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Almeida
keywords: DCX; ectopic newborn neurons; epilepsy; neurogenesis; physical exercise