Treadmill exercise prevents learning and memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease-like pathology

Curr Alzheimer Res. 2013 Jun;10(5):507-15. doi: 10.2174/1567205011310050006.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / chemically induced
  • Alzheimer Disease / complications*
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Alzheimer Disease / rehabilitation*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / toxicity
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / metabolism
  • CA1 Region, Hippocampal / pathology
  • Calcineurin / metabolism
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Exercise Test
  • Learning Disabilities / prevention & control*
  • Long-Term Potentiation / drug effects
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Memory Disorders / prevention & control*
  • Memory, Short-Term / drug effects
  • Peptide Fragments / toxicity
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / methods*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Up-Regulation / drug effects

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
  • Peptide Fragments
  • amyloid beta-protein (1-42)
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2
  • Calcineurin