Treadmill exercise ameliorates memory impairment through ERK-Akt-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway in cerebral ischemia gerbils
Su‐Shin Lee, Chang‐Ju Kim, Mal‐Soon Shin, Baek‐Vin Lim
Abstract
Neuronal cell death in the hippocampus by cerebral ischemia causes disability of memory function. Cerebral ischemia also alters the expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cyclic adenosine monophosphate-responsive element binding protein (CREB), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (Akt). In the present study, we investigated the effect of treadmill exercise on cerebral ischemia in relation with ERK-Akt-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway in the hippocampus using gerbils. Induction of cerebral ischemia deteriorated short-term memory with suppression of phosphorylation of ERK-Akt-CREB-BDNF pathway in the hippocampus of gerbils. Enhancement of apoptosis in the hippocampus was accompanied in the ischemia gerbils. Treadmill exercise improved short-term memory through enhancing phosphorylation of ERK-Akt-CREB-BDNF pathway with suppressing apoptosis in the hip-pocampus of the ischemia gerbils. The present results suggest that improvement of memory function after cerebral ischemia by treadmill exercise may be involved in the ERK-Akt-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway, resulting in inhibition of apoptosis in the hippocampus.