Exercise Alleviates Behavioral Disorders but Shapes Brain Metabolism of APP/PS1 Mice in a Region- and Exercise-Specific Manner

Abstract

Exercise plays a beneficial role in the management of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its effects on brain metabolism are still far from being understood. Here, we examined behavioral changes of APP/PS1 mice after high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and analyzed metabolomics profiles in the hippocampus, cortex, and hypothalamus by using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to explore potential metabolic mechanisms. The results demonstrate that both HIIT and MICT alleviated anxiety/depressive-like behaviors as well as learning and memory impairments of AD mice. Metabolomics analysis reveals that energy metabolism, neurotransmitter metabolism, and membrane metabolism were significantly altered in all three brain regions after both types of exercises. Amino acid metabolism was detected to be affected in the cortex and hypothalamus after HIIT and in the hippocampus and hypothalamus after MICT. However, only HIIT significantly altered astrocyte-neuron metabolism in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of AD mice. Therefore, our study suggests that exercise can shape brain metabolism of AD mice in a region-and exercise-specific manner, indicating that the precise modification of brain metabolism by a specific type of exercise might be a novel perspective for the prevention and treatment of AD.

Experimental laboratory models as tools for understanding modifiable dementia risk

“… 152 Exercise, in contrast, can alleviate depressive behaviors in APP/PS1 mice, potentially by altering energy and neurotransmitter metabolism. 153 Additional future experimental studies may be beneficial for untangling the complex relationship between depression and dementia, revealing shared cellular or molecular mechanisms in depression and dementia, which may then inform new, effective therapies and risk reduction strategies for both conditions.…”