Can exercise maintain and/or improve age-related changes in function and morphology of nervous system responsible for postural and locomotor control?

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23500604
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Prefectural University of Hiroshima
• Principal Investigator: TAKEMOTO Hidenori 県立広島大学, 保健福祉学部, 助教 (10453218)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KANEMURA Naohiko 埼玉県立大学, 保健医療福祉学部, 准教授 (20379895)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): FUJIMAKI Koichiro 県立広島大学, 保健福祉学部, 教授 (50324570) ; MORINOBU Shigeru 高知大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (30191042) ; IMAGITA Hidetaka 畿央大学, 健康科学部, 教授 (00412148) ; MATSUMOTO Tomoya 広島大学, 医歯薬保健学研究科, 特任助教 (30552567)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2013
• Keywords: 抗老化 / 運動介入 / 移動能力 / 骨格筋 / 脊髄前角細胞

Research Abstract

Whether age at onset of exercise affects locomotor ability and morphology of limb muscles and spinal motoneurons in aged rats was studied. Daily running distance in senescence increased when wheel running started in middle age but not in senescence. Although wheel running increased maximum running speed in all runners greater effect was found in rats that began running in middle age. Wet weight of hind limb muscles declined age-dependently in sedentary controls but running prevented or recovered the decline. Age-related loss of lumbar motoneurons existed in sedentary controls but was prevented in rats that began running in middle age. The results demonstrate that exercise intervention maintains and/or recovers muscle morphologyin senescence, and helps to survive spinal motoneurons depending on age at onset of exercise.

Research Products

• [Presentation] Age at onset of exercise affects locomotor ability and survival of lumbar motoneurons in aged rats (2013)
  • Author(s): Takemoto H, Kanemura N, Imagita H, Okada K, Yamakami T, Kawata S, Koichiro Fujimaki K, Matsumoto T, Murata K, Kokubun T, Kataoka T, Deie M, Otsuka A, Oki S, Morinobu S
  • Organizer: The 43nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
  • Place of Presentation: San Diego
  • Year and Date: 2013-11-11
• [Presentation] Effects of treadmill exercise on the expression of BDNF and the improvement of serotonergic innervation in the lumber cord of aged rats (2012)
  • Author(s): Takemoto H, Kanemura N, Saka Y, Oki S, Otuka A, Deie M
  • Organizer: The 42nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
  • Place of Presentation: New Orleans
  • Year and Date: 2012-10-16