Treadmill exercise improves motor and memory functions in cerebral palsy rats through activation of PI3K-Akt pathway

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a chronic disorder characterized by physical disability and disruption of brain function. We evaluated the effects of treadmill exercise on motor and memory functions in relation with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway using CP rat model. Rota-rod test, step-down avoidance task, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry, and western blot for synapsin I, postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95), PI3K, Akt, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) were performed. CP was induced by maternal lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-injection with sensorimotor restriction. Five weeks after birth, the rats in the exercise groups were made to run on the treadmill for 30 min per one day, 5 times a week, during 4 weeks. Motor and memory functions were impaired in the LPS-induced CP rats and tread-mill exercise increased motor and memory functions in the CP rats. Cell proliferation in the hippocampus was suppressed in the LPS-induced CP rats and treadmill exercise increased hippocampal cell proliferation in the CP rats. Expressions of synapsin I, PSD-95, phosphorylated (p)-PI3K, and p-Akt were decreased in the LPS-induced CP rats and treadmill exercise enhanced the expressions of synapsin I, PSD-95, p-PI3K, and p-Akt in the CP rats. GSK-3β expression was increased in the LPS-induced CP rats and treadmill exercise suppressed GSK-3β expression in the CP rats. The present results suggest that treadmill exercise might improve motor and memory functions through activation of PI3K-Akt pathway.

Treadmill exercise improves memory function by inhibiting hippocampal apoptosis in pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats

“…Short-term memory was determined using the step-down avoidance task, according to the previously described method ( Jung and Kim, 2017 ; Kim et al, 2017 ). On the 14 days after starting experiment, the rats were trained with a step-down avoidance task.…”

“…Immunohistochemistry for the BrdU-positive cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus was performed, as the previously described method ( Jung and Kim, 2017 ; Kim et al, 2017 ). The sections were permeabilized by incubating in 0.5% Triton X-100 in PBS for 20 min, then they were pretreated in 50% formamide-2×standard saline citrate at 65°C for 2 hr, denaturated in 2 N HCl at 37°C for 30 min, and they were rinsed twice in 100 mM sodium borate (pH, 8.5).…”

Opposite-sex effects of the Tac2 pathway blockade in fear memory consolidation: implications for fear-related disorders

“…The Akt/GSK3β/β-Catenin pathway is widely known for its role in amygdalar-and hippocampaldependent learning and memory (42,43) and cognitive exibility (44). Of note, hippocampal memory has shown to require estradiol for PI3K activation (45).…”

Vitamin B1 and B12 mitigates neuron apoptosis in cerebral palsy by augmenting BDNF expression through MALAT1/miR-1 axis

“…28d after surgery, rota-rod test was conducted to assess the motor function of rats [25]. Briefly, rats were positioned in a rota-rod with a diameter rod of 60 mm, a length of 75 mm, and a rotating speeding of 25rpm.…”

“…Step-down avoidance task was carried out to estimate the memory function [25]. Rats were placed on a platform (7 × 25 cm) with a height of 2.5 cm and allowed to have a rest on the platform for 1 min with spaced 1 cm apart, the platform faced a 42 × 25 cm grid of parallel 0.1 cm caliber stainless steel bars.…”