Low-intensity treadmill exercise and/or bright light promote neurogenesis in adult rat brain

The hippocampus is a brain region responsible for learning and memory functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of low-intensity exercise and bright light exposure on neurogenesis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in adult rat hippocampus. Male Sprague-Dawley...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neural regeneration research 2013-04, Vol.8 (10), p.922-929
Main Authors: Kwon, Sung Jin, Park, Jeongsook, Park, So Yun, Song, Kwang Seop, Jung, Sun Tae, Jung, So Bong, Park, Ik Ryeul, Choi, Wan Sung, Kwon, Sun Ok
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Brain
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor
Cell growth
Exercise
Fitness equipment
Light
Light therapy
Memory
Neurogenesis
Neurons
Outdoor activities
Physical fitness
Physiological aspects
Physiology
Properties
Protein expression
Proteins
Research and Report : Brain Injury and Neural Regeneration
Running
Studies
Variance analysis
低强度
光线照射
大脑
成年大鼠
神经发生
脑源性神经营养因子
跑步机
锻炼
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Summary:The hippocampus is a brain region responsible for learning and memory functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of low-intensity exercise and bright light exposure on neurogenesis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in adult rat hippocampus. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control, exercise, light, or exercise ＋ light groups （n = 9 per group）. The rats in the exercise group were subjected to treadmill exercise （5 days per week, 30 minutes per day, over a 4-week period）, the light group rats were irradiated （5 days per week, 30 minutes per day, 10 000 Ix, over a 4-week period）, the exercise ＋ light group rats were subjected to treadmill exercise in combination with bright light exposure, and the control group rats remained sedentary over a 4-week period. Compared with the control group, there was a significant increase in neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of rats in the exercise, light, and exercise ＋ light groups. Moreover, the expression level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the rat hippocampal dentate gyrus was significantly higher in the exercise group and light group than that in the control group. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression between the control group and exercise ＋ light group. These results indicate that low-intensity treadmill exercise （first 5 minutes at a speed of 2 m/min, second 5 minutes at a speed of 5 m/min, and the last 20 minutes at a speed of 8 m/min） or bright-light exposure therapy induces positive biochemical changes in the brain. In view of these findings, we propose that moderate exercise or exposure to sunlight during childhood can be beneficial for neural development.
ISSN:1673-5374
1876-7958
DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.10.007