Physical Exercise During Pregnancy Prevents Cognitive Impairment Induced by Amyloid- β in Adult Offspring Rats

AbstractAlzheimer ’s disease (AD) is the main aging-associated neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, synaptic failure, and cognitive decline. It has been a challenge to find disease course-modifying treatments. However, several studies demonstrated that regu lar physical activity and exercise are capable of promoting brain health by improving the cognitive function. Maternal lifestyle, including regular exercise during pregnancy, has also been shown to influence fetal development and disease susceptibility in adulthood through fetal metabolism programmi ng. Here, we investigated the potential neuroprotective role of regular maternal swimming, before and during pregnancy, against amyloid-β neurotoxicity in the adult offspring. Behavioral and neurochemical analyses were performed 14 days after male offspring received a single, bilateral, intracereb roventricular (icv) injection of amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs). AβOs-injected rats of the sedentary maternal group exhibited learning and memory deficits, along with reduced synaptophysin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and alterations of mitochondrial function. Strikingly, the off spring of the sedentary maternal group had AβOs-induced behavioral alterations that were prevented by maternal exercise. This effect was accompanied by preventing the alteration of synaptophysin levels in the offspring of exercised dams. Additionally, offspring of the maternal...
Source: Molecular Neurobiology - Category: Neurology Source Type: research