Mechanisms underlying exercise-induced improvement in hippocampal plasticity: a role of reactive oxygen species

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13018
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Nishijima Takeshi 首都大学東京, 人間健康科学研究科, 准教授 (10431678)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KITA Ichiro 首都大学東京, 大学院人間健康科学研究科, 教授 (10186223) ; FUJII Nobuharu 首都大学東京, 大学院人間健康科学研究科, 教授 (40509296) ; TAKENAKA Asako 明治大学, 農学部, 教授 (40231401)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 海馬 / 神経新生 / 活性酸素種

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study tested a hypothesis that positive effects of exercise on the hippocampal plasticity is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling, and antioxidant supplementation could suppress the positive effects of exercise. Male C57BL/6J mice performed voluntary wheel running for 4 weeks with or without antioxidants (vitamin C and D) supplementation. We found that exercise increased the hippocampal neurogenesis (densities of Ki-67-ir cells, and Doublecortin-ir cells), which were suppressed by vitamin C and D in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the exercise-induced neurogenesis is regulated, at least in part, through ROS signaling, although further study is warranted to unveil the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Free Research Field

運動生理・神経科学