open access

Vol 78, No 4 (2019)
Original article
Submitted: 2018-11-30
Accepted: 2019-01-31
Published online: 2019-02-25
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Long-term treadmill exercise upregulated hippocampal learning-related genes without improving cognitive behaviour in socially isolated rats

S. Keloglan1, L. Sahin2, O. S. Cevik2
·
Pubmed: 30816552
·
Folia Morphol 2019;78(4):668-675.
Affiliations
  1. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Amasya University, Amasya, Türkiye
  2. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye

open access

Vol 78, No 4 (2019)
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Submitted: 2018-11-30
Accepted: 2019-01-31
Published online: 2019-02-25

Abstract

Background: Some environment enrichments such as exercise has been reported to improve the diminished cognitive functions and related gene expression. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of prolonged treadmill exercise on long-term learning and hippocampal gene expression, which involves learning and plasticity. Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats (n = 32) randomly assigned into four groups: control (C), social isolation (SI), exercised (E), social isolation + exercise (SE) during postnatal days (PNDs) 21–34. Social isolation protocol was applied during 14 days by placing the rat alone in a cage. Rats were exercised daily, 5 days per week, for overall 4 weeks. Finally, learning performance was evaluated by the novel object recognition test. At the end of learning test, the rats were decapitated to isolate hippocampus tissues for learning related gene expression such as N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunit genes (Grin1, Grin2a, Grin2b) and cyclin dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), Cdk5 regulatory subunit p35 (Cdk5r), activity-regulated, cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc), the immediate early gene (c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activation), doublecortin (DCX), achaetescute homolog 1 (ASCL1), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Grin1, NMDAR subunit gene expression was increased significantly in E group compared to other groups. Grin2b, NMDAR subunit gene expression was increased in E group compared to the SI group. Cdk5 level increased in E group compared to the SE group. The ASCL1 gene expression increased in E group compare to the SE group. The DCX gene expression increasing in C group compared to SI and SE groups. Conclusions: Taken together these findings may point out that long-term social isolation down-regulated learning-related genes. However, treadmill exercise together with social isolation did not restore this down-regulation although treadmill exercise increased learning-related genes without improving cognitive behaviour.

Abstract

Background: Some environment enrichments such as exercise has been reported to improve the diminished cognitive functions and related gene expression. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of prolonged treadmill exercise on long-term learning and hippocampal gene expression, which involves learning and plasticity. Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats (n = 32) randomly assigned into four groups: control (C), social isolation (SI), exercised (E), social isolation + exercise (SE) during postnatal days (PNDs) 21–34. Social isolation protocol was applied during 14 days by placing the rat alone in a cage. Rats were exercised daily, 5 days per week, for overall 4 weeks. Finally, learning performance was evaluated by the novel object recognition test. At the end of learning test, the rats were decapitated to isolate hippocampus tissues for learning related gene expression such as N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunit genes (Grin1, Grin2a, Grin2b) and cyclin dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), Cdk5 regulatory subunit p35 (Cdk5r), activity-regulated, cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc), the immediate early gene (c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activation), doublecortin (DCX), achaetescute homolog 1 (ASCL1), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Grin1, NMDAR subunit gene expression was increased significantly in E group compared to other groups. Grin2b, NMDAR subunit gene expression was increased in E group compared to the SI group. Cdk5 level increased in E group compared to the SE group. The ASCL1 gene expression increased in E group compare to the SE group. The DCX gene expression increasing in C group compared to SI and SE groups. Conclusions: Taken together these findings may point out that long-term social isolation down-regulated learning-related genes. However, treadmill exercise together with social isolation did not restore this down-regulation although treadmill exercise increased learning-related genes without improving cognitive behaviour.

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Keywords

learning, neurogenesis, NMDAR, plasticity, BDNF, novel object test

About this article
Title

Long-term treadmill exercise upregulated hippocampal learning-related genes without improving cognitive behaviour in socially isolated rats

Journal

Folia Morphologica

Issue

Vol 78, No 4 (2019)

Article type

Original article

Pages

668-675

Published online

2019-02-25

Page views

1860

Article views/downloads

1047

DOI

10.5603/FM.a2019.0018

Pubmed

30816552

Bibliographic record

Folia Morphol 2019;78(4):668-675.

Keywords

learning
neurogenesis
NMDAR
plasticity
BDNF
novel object test

Authors

S. Keloglan
L. Sahin
O. S. Cevik

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