The Therapeutic Role of Exercise and Probiotics in Stressful Brain Conditions

Abstract

Oxidative stress has been recognized as a contributing factor in aging and in the progression of multiple neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, ischemic stroke, and head and spinal cord injury. The increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, altered metal homeostasis, and compromised brain antioxidant defence. All these changes have been reported to directly affect synaptic activity and neurotransmission in neurons, leading to cognitive dysfunction. In this context two non-invasive strategies could be employed in an attempt to improve the aforementioned stressful brain status. In this regard, it has been shown that exercise could increase the resistance against oxidative stress, thus providing enhanced neuroprotection. Indeed, there is evidence suggesting that regular physical exercise diminishes BBB permeability as it reinforces antioxidative capacity, reduces oxidative stress, and has anti-inflammatory effects. However, the differential effects of different types of exercise (aerobic exhausted exercise, anaerobic exercise, or the combination of both types) and the duration of physical activity will be also addressed in this review as likely determinants of therapeutic efficacy. The second proposed strategy is related to the use of probiotics, which can also reduce some biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines, although their underlying mechanisms of action remain unclear. Moreover, various probiotics produce neuroactive molecules that directly or indirectly impact signalling in the brain. In this review, we will discuss how physical activity can be incorporated as a component of therapeutic strategies in oxidative stress-based neurological disorders along with the augmentation of probiotics intake.

Hippocampal Subfield Volumes in Amateur Marathon Runners

“…Our results also showed no differences in the thalamic nuclei group volumes between the AMR and the HC groups. The effects of exercise on the brain appear to involve a number of key molecular and cellular mechanisms, including adult neurogenesis ( 1 ), brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( 74 ), insulin-like growth factor 1 ( 75 ), vascular endothelial growth factor ( 76 ), synaptogenesis and dendritic branching ( 77 ), increased cerebral blood flow ( 78 ), and increased glia cell proliferation ( 29 ).…”

Examining the Interaction between Exercise, Gut Microbiota, and Neurodegeneration: Future Research Directions

“…Diet is known to play a crucial role in shaping the gut microbial ecosystem. Since stress can exacerbate inflammation in the gut, it is necessary to consider effective dietary interventions (e.g., probiotic and prebiotic intake) in conjunction with an exercise program, which may improve gut microbial health and prevent or slow down the progression of neurodegeneration [ 144 ].…”

Interventional strategies for ischemic stroke based on the modulation of the gut microbiota

“…Several recent studies 10.3389/fnins.2023.1158057 have shown the beneficial effects of specific probiotic strains or a mixture of strains at particular life stages or disease stages. Some studies investigated the mechanism of action of probiotics in IS to elucidate how probiotics strengthen the gut epithelial barrier function, inhibit pathogen adhesion to the intestinal wall by adhering to the intestinal mucosa, suppress bacterial translocation, produce bioactive compounds, including bacteriocins, organic acids, vitamins, and neurotransmitters, reduce certain biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines, produce antiinflammatory compounds to modulate the immune system, and upregulate the expression of opioid and cannabinoid receptors in intestinal epithelial cells; thus, activating calcium-dependent potassium channels in intestinal sensory neurons (Sánchez et al, 2017;Martínez-Guardado et al, 2022). Additionally, SCFAs produced by probiotics can counteract neuroinflammation after IS (Sadler et al, 2020;Zhang W. et al, 2022) and help in repairing cognitive dysfunction and brain injury.…”

“…Probiotics and prebiotics are the most extensively studied biotherapeutic strategies to maintain and improve brain function via the MGBA (Dinan et al, 2013;Cryan et al, 2019;Martínez-Guardado et al, 2022). Probiotics and prebiotics are strong candidates for treating and preventing IS as they can reshape the gut microbiota, inhibit oxidative stress, and maintain the regular pathways related to microbial metabolism and brain functions.…”