We tested whether daily exercise modulates immune and neuroimmune cytokines, hippocampus-dependent behavior and hippocampal neurogenesis in aging male F344 rats (18 mo upon arrival). Twelve weeks after conditioned running or control group assignment (n = 6 per group), the rats were trained and tested in a rapid water maze followed by an inhibitory avoidance task. The rats were BrdU-injected beginning 12 days after behavioral testing and killed 3 weeks later to quantify cytokines and neurogenesis. Daily exercise increased neurogenesis and improved immediate and 24 h water maze discrimination index (DI) scores and 24 h inhibitory avoidance retention latencies. Daily exercise decreased cortical VEGF, hippocampal IL-1β and serum MCP-1, GRO-KC and leptin levels but increased hippocampal GRO-KC and IL-18 concentrations. Serum leptin concentration correlated negatively with new neuron number and both DI scores while hippocampal IL-1β concentration correlated negatively with memory scores in both tasks. Cortical VEGF, serum GRO-KC and serum MCP-1 levels correlated negatively with immediate DI score and we found a novel positive correlation between hippocampal IL-18 and GRO-KC levels and new neuron number. Pathway analyses revealed distinct serum, hippocampal and cortical compartment cytokine relationships. Our results suggest that daily exercise potentially improves cognition in aging rats by modulating hippocampal neurogenesis and immune and neuroimmune cytokine signaling.

Strategies combatting cognitive decline among the growing aging population are vital. We tested whether environmental enrichment could reverse age-impaired rapid spatial search strategy acquisition concomitantly with hippocampal neurogenesis in rats. Young (5–8 mo) and aged (20–22 mo) male Fischer 344 rats were pair-housed and exposed to environmental enrichment (n=7 young, 9 aged) or housed individually (n=7 young, 7 aged) for ten weeks. After five weeks, hidden platform trials (5 blocks of 3 trials; 15m IBI), a probe trial, and then visible platform trials (5 blocks of 3 trials; 15m IBI) commenced in the water maze. One week after testing, rats were given 5 daily bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 50mg/kg; i.p.) injections and perfused 4 weeks later to quantify neurogenesis. Although young rats outperformed aged rats, aged enriched rats outperformed aged individually-housed rats on all behavioral measures. Neurogenesis decreased with age but enrichment enhanced new cell survival, regardless of age. The novel correlation between new neuron number and behavioral measures obtained in a rapid water maze task among aged rats, suggests that environmental enrichment increases their ability to rapidly acquire and flexibly use spatial information along with neurogenesis.

A variety of consumable plant-derived phytochemicals exhibit nutraceutical properties because they produce physiological benefits and combat disease processes. Emerging evidence suggests that widely accessible and safe organic polyphenolic phytochemicals, in particular, treat depression at much lower concentrations than clinical doses of classical drugs. Structurally similar polyphenolics such as curcumin, resveratrol, and proanthocyanidins exhibit antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties and recent research suggests that they also modulate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, serotonergic transmission and hippocampal neurogenesis (perhaps via their effects on serotonin and HPA activity). These data tempt speculation that polyphenolic compounds could also combat age-related cognitive decline, which is often accompanied by depression and potentially by reduced levels of hippocampal neurogenesis. Here we review the relationships between dysregulation of these systems and age-related cognitive decline. We then suggest that this group of structurally similar polyphenolic compounds may be particularly promising therapeutic leads for age-related cognitive decline and depression because they modulate these processes.