Effects of voluntary running on spatial memory and mature brain-derived neurothrophic factor expression in mice hippocampus after status epilecticus

SARTORI CR; PELÁGIO FC; TEIXEIRA SA; VALENTINUZZI VS; NASCIMENTO AL; ROGERIO F; MUSCARÁ MN; FERRARI EAM; F LANGONE

BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2009 vol. 203 p. 165 - 172

0166-4328

Pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in rodents leads to behavioral changes as well as hippocampal sclerosis that resemble human temporal lobe epilepsy. Recently, it has been proposed that physical activity exerts neuroprotective effects in brain injuries. Additionally, strengthening of the long term potentiation, improvement of memory and learning, and preservation of cognitive function have been also reported. However, there are no reports regarding the neuroprotective action of physical activity on the pilocarpine model of epilepsy in mice. In the present work, we investigated the effects of the physical activity on hippocampal neuronal loss and memory function of mice after the pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. Swiss mice were assigned to four experimental groups (n=8): Pilocarpine Sedentary (PS), Pilocarpine Runner (PR), Control Sedentary (CS) and Control Runner (CR). Forty-eight hours after the status epilepticus the animals of PR and CR groups had access to a running wheel during 28 days. After that, mice of all groups were submitted to the Water Maze test and sacrificed to evaluate the hippocampal neuron loss (Nissl staining) and degenerating (Fluoro-Jade B). The better performance in the Water Maze test exhibited by PR mice when compared to PS mice, despite the neuronal loss and degeneration has been equivalent, advocate the neuroprotective effect of physical activity on the pilocarpine model of epilepsy in mice. The possible molecular mechanisms related to hippocampus synapse plasticity are discussed.