1
|
Strohm AO, Majewska AK. Physical exercise regulates microglia in health and disease. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1420322. [PMID: 38911597 PMCID: PMC11192042 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1420322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a well-established link between physical activity and brain health. As such, the effectiveness of physical exercise as a therapeutic strategy has been explored in a variety of neurological contexts. To determine the extent to which physical exercise could be most beneficial under different circumstances, studies are needed to uncover the underlying mechanisms behind the benefits of physical activity. Interest has grown in understanding how physical activity can regulate microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system. Microglia are key mediators of neuroinflammatory processes and play a role in maintaining brain homeostasis in healthy and pathological settings. Here, we explore the evidence suggesting that physical activity has the potential to regulate microglia activity in various animal models. We emphasize key areas where future research could contribute to uncovering the therapeutic benefits of engaging in physical exercise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra O. Strohm
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Ania K. Majewska
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
- Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alizadeh Pahlavani H. Possible role of exercise therapy on depression: Effector neurotransmitters as key players. Behav Brain Res 2024; 459:114791. [PMID: 38048912 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
About 280 million people suffer from depression as the most common neurological disorder and the most common cause of death worldwide. Exercise with serotonin released in the brain by the 5-HT3-IGF-1 mechanism can lead to antidepressant effects. Swimming exercise has antidepressant effects by increasing the sensitivity of serotonin 5-HT2 receptors and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors, increasing 5-HT and 5HIAA levels, increasing TPH and serotonin, and decreasing inflammatory levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α. Anaerobic and aerobic exercises increase beta-endorphin, enkephalin, and dynorphin and have antidepressant effects. Exercise by increasing dopamine, D1R, and D2R leads to the expression of BDNF and activation of TrkB and has antidepressant behavior. Exercise leads to a significant increase in GABAAR (γ2 and α2 subunits) and reduces neurodegenerative disorders caused by GABA imbalance through anti-inflammatory pathways. By increasing glutamate and PGC1α and reducing glutamatergic neurotoxicity, exercise enhances neurogenesis and synaptogenesis and prevents neurodegeneration and the onset of depression. Irisin release during exercise shows an important role in depression by increasing dopamine, BDNF, NGF, and IGF-1 and decreasing inflammatory mediators such as IL-6 and IL-1β. In addition, exercise-induced orexin and NPY can increase hippocampal neurogenesis and relieve depression. After exercise, the tryptophan to large neutral amino acids (TRP/LNAA) ratio and the tryptophan to branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) ratio increase, which may have antidepressant effects. The expression of M5 receptor and nAChR α7 increases after exercise and significantly increases dopamine and acetylcholine and ameliorates depression. It appears that during exercise, muscarinic receptors can reduce depression through dopamine in the absence of acetylcholine. Therefore, exercise can be used to reduce depression by affecting neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, cytokines, and/or neurotrophins.
Collapse
|
3
|
Vitor-de-Lima SM, Figueira de Oliveira ML, Tavares IDS, Leandro CVG, Guedes RCA. Maternal voluntary physical exercise in the adult rat: evidence of exercise-associated differences in maternal food intake, and in brain effects on the progeny. Nutr Neurosci 2024; 27:120-131. [PMID: 36633889 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2023.2166415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: Maternal physical activity may impact behavioral and electrophysiological aspects of brain function, with short- and long-term effects on pre- and postnatal neurodevelopment of the offspring. This study evaluated in the rat the effects of maternal voluntary physical activity (MVPA) on food intake and weight gain in the dams, as well as anxiety-like behavior, short-term memory and the brain excitability-related phenomenon known as cortical spreading depression (CSD) on the mother-pup dyad.Methods: Female Wistar rats (n=33) were individually housed in cages containing a running wheel for a 30-days adaptation period before mating. Rats were classified as inactive (I); active (A) or very active (VA) according to the distance spontaneously travelled daily. During gestation, the dams continued to have access to the running wheel. Mothers and their respective pups (1 pup per mother) were evaluated in the open field test (OFT), object recognition test (ORT), elevated plus maze test (EPMT) and the CSD propagation features.Results: MVPA was directly associated with increased food intake and weight gain during gestation, and maternal anxiolytic-like behavioral responses in the OFT. Pups from VA mothers showed a high discrimination index for shape recognition memory (ORT) and decreased propagation velocities of CSD, when compared with the inactive group.Discussion: The data suggest that MVPA during the gestational period induces neuroplasticity and may modulate the brain functions in the mother-infant dyad in the rat.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carol Virgínia Góis Leandro
- Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Department of Nutrition, CAV, Federal University of Pernambuco, Vitória de Santo Antão, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
An Early and Sustained Inflammatory State Induces Muscle Changes and Establishes Obesogenic Characteristics in Wistar Rats Exposed to the MSG-Induced Obesity Model. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054730. [PMID: 36902158 PMCID: PMC10003260 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The model of obesity induced by monosodium glutamate cytotoxicity on the hypothalamic nuclei is widely used in the literature. However, MSG promotes persistent muscle changes and there is a significant lack of studies that seek to elucidate the mechanisms by which damage refractory to reversal is established. This study aimed to investigate the early and chronic effects of MSG induction of obesity upon systemic and muscular parameters of Wistar rats. The animals were exposed to MSG subcutaneously (4 mg·g-1 b.w.) or saline (1.25 mg·g-1 b.w.) daily from PND01 to PND05 (n = 24). Afterwards, in PND15, 12 animals were euthanized to determine the plasma and inflammatory profile and to assess muscle damage. In PND142, the remaining animals were euthanized, and samples for histological and biochemical analyses were obtained. Our results suggest that early exposure to MSG reduced growth, increased adiposity, and inducted hyperinsulinemia and a pro-inflammatory scenario. In adulthood, the following were observed: peripheral insulin resistance, increased fibrosis, oxidative distress, and a reduction in muscle mass, oxidative capacity, and neuromuscular junctions, increased fibrosis, and oxidative distress. Thus, we can conclude that the condition found in adult life and the difficulty restoring in the muscle profile is related to the metabolic damage established early on.
Collapse
|
5
|
Amaral de Brito AP, Galvão de Melo IMDS, El-Bachá RS, Guedes RCA. Valeriana officinalis Counteracts Rotenone Effects on Spreading Depression in the Rat Brain in vivo and Protects Against Rotenone Cytotoxicity Toward Rat Glioma C6 Cells in vitro. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:759. [PMID: 32792901 PMCID: PMC7390944 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes can protect neurons against oxidative stress and excitability-dependent disorders, such as epilepsy. Valeriana officinalis has been used as anticonvulsant and can exert an antioxidant effect, which may underlie its opposing action against the toxic effects of the pesticide rotenone. We investigated the V. officinalis/rotenone interaction in the cortical spreading depression (CSD), a phenomenon that depends upon brain excitability (in vivo model). In addition, we analyzed the protective action of V. officinalis against the cytotoxic effects of rotenone in cultures of rat C6 glioma cells (in vitro model). For the CSD study, Wistar rats received either V. officinalis (250 mg/kg/day via gavage for 15 days; n = 8) or 10 mg/kg/day rotenone via subcutaneous injections for 7 days (n = 7), or they received both substances (n = 5). Two control groups received either saline (vehicle for V. officinalis; n = 8) or 1% Tween-80 aqueous solution (vehicle for rotenone; n = 9). After treatment, CSD was recorded for 4 h. The rotenone- and V. officinalis-treated groups presented, respectively, with lower (2.96 ± 0.14 mm/min), and higher CSD propagation velocity (3.81 ± 0.10 mm/min) when compared with the controls (Tween-80, 3.37 ± 0.06 mm/min and saline, 3.35 ± 0.08 mm/min; p < 0.05). The rotenone plus V. officinalis-treated group displayed a CSD velocity (3.38 ± 0.07 mm/min) that was similar to controls. In line with these results, in vitro experiments on rat glioma C6 cells revealed a protective effect (MTT assay) of V. officinalis against rotenone-induced cytotoxicity. These results suggest the therapeutic potential of V. officinalis for treating neurological diseases involving redox imbalance and astrocyte dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ramon Santos El-Bachá
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hatcher A, Yu K, Meyer J, Aiba I, Deneen B, Noebels JL. Pathogenesis of peritumoral hyperexcitability in an immunocompetent CRISPR-based glioblastoma model. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:2286-2300. [PMID: 32250339 PMCID: PMC7190940 DOI: 10.1172/jci133316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Seizures often herald the clinical appearance of gliomas or appear at later stages. Dissecting their precise evolution and cellular pathogenesis in brain malignancies could inform the development of staged therapies for these highly pharmaco-resistant epilepsies. Studies in immunodeficient xenograft models have identified local interneuron loss and excess glial glutamate release as chief contributors to network disinhibition, but how hyperexcitability in the peritumoral microenvironment evolves in an immunocompetent brain is unclear. We generated gliomas in WT mice via in utero deletion of key tumor suppressor genes and serially monitored cortical epileptogenesis during tumor infiltration with in vivo electrophysiology and GCAMP7 calcium imaging, revealing a reproducible progression from hyperexcitability to convulsive seizures. Long before seizures, coincident with loss of inhibitory cells and their protective scaffolding, gain of glial glutamate antiporter xCT expression, and reactive astrocytosis, we detected local Iba1+ microglial inflammation that intensified and later extended far beyond tumor boundaries. Hitherto unrecognized episodes of cortical spreading depolarization that arose frequently from the peritumoral region may provide a mechanism for transient neurological deficits. Early blockade of glial xCT activity inhibited later seizures, and genomic reduction of host brain excitability by deleting MapT suppressed molecular markers of epileptogenesis and seizures. Our studies confirmed xenograft tumor-driven pathobiology and revealed early and late components of tumor-related epileptogenesis in a genetically tractable, immunocompetent mouse model of glioma, allowing the complex dissection of tumor versus host pathogenic seizure mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jeffrey L. Noebels
- Department of Neuroscience
- Department of Neurology, and
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Guedes RCA, Abadie-Guedes R. Brain Aging and Electrophysiological Signaling: Revisiting the Spreading Depression Model. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:136. [PMID: 31231207 PMCID: PMC6567796 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
As a consequence of worldwide improvement in health care, the aging portion of the human population has increased, now representing a higher proportion of the total population. This fact raises great concern regarding how to age while maintaining good brain function. Very often, alterations in brain electrophysiological signaling are associated with age-dependent functional disorders of the brain. Therefore, animal models suitable for the study of age-related changes in electrical activity of the brain can be very useful. Herein, we review changes in brain electrophysiological features as a function of age by analyzing studies in the rat brain on the phenomenon known as cortical spreading depression (CSD). Alterations in the brain’s capability to generate and propagate CSD may be related to differences in the propensity to develop certain neurological diseases, such as epilepsy, stroke, and migraine, which can biunivocally interact with the aging process. In this review, we revisit ours and others’ previous studies on electrophysiological features of the CSD phenomenon, such as its velocity of propagation and amplitude and duration of its slow negative DC shift, as a function of the animal age, as well as the interaction between age and other factors, such as ethanol consumption, physical exercise, and nutritional status. In addition, we discuss one relatively new feature through which CSD modulates brain signaling: the ability to potentiate the brain’s spontaneous electrical activity. We conclude that the CSD model might importantly contribute to a better understanding of the aging/brain signaling relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ricardo Abadie-Guedes
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Guo Y, Xie J, Li X, Yuan Y, Zhang L, Hu W, Luo H, Yu H, Zhang R. Antidepressant Effects of Rosemary Extracts Associate With Anti-inflammatory Effect and Rebalance of Gut Microbiota. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1126. [PMID: 30364169 PMCID: PMC6192164 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
It is currently believed that inflammation acts as a central part in the pathophysiology of depression. Rosemary extracts (RE), the crucial active constituents extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis Linn, have drawn wide concerns because of their potential for anti-inflammatory effects. However, no study has highlighted the antidepressant effects of RE on chronic restraint stress (CRS) mice, and the inflammatory mechanisms related to gut microbiome have not yet been elucidated. This study showed that depressive-like behaviors, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and activation of inflammatory reactions in the hippocampus and serum of CRS mice, as well as activation of inflammatory reactions in BV-2 microglia cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), could be attenuated by RE. We found that the pretreatment with RE increased the time in the center of open field test (OFT), and decreased immobility duration in tail suspension test (TST) as well as forced swimming test (FST). Furthermore, RE enhanced the sequences proportion of Lactobacillus and Firmicutes, and reduced the sequences proportion of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria in feces. Moreover, RE obviously suppressed protein expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, p-NF-κ B p65 and Iba1 in hippocampus, and elevated BDNF as well as p-AKT/AKT expression. Importantly, pre-incubation with RE protected microglia by alleviating protein expression of IL-1β, TNF-α and p-NF-κ B p65 induced by LPS. Additionally, RE downregulated the level of IL-1β and TNF-α in serum. In conclusion, this study showed the antidepressant effects of RE are mediated by anti-inflammatory effects in hippocampus, serum and BV-2 microglia as well as rebalancing gut microbiota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Guo
- School of Pharmaceutical Science & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Jianping Xie
- Library, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, China
| | - Xia Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yun Yuan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Lanchun Zhang
- Department of Zoology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Weiyan Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Haiyun Luo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Haofei Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Rongping Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
E Silva-Gondim MB, de Souza TKM, Rodrigues MCA, Guedes RCA. Suckling in litters with different sizes, and early and late swimming exercise differentially modulates anxiety-like behavior, memory and electrocorticogram potentiation after spreading depression in rats. Nutr Neurosci 2017; 22:464-473. [PMID: 29183255 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2017.1407472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Analyze the hypothesis that swimming exercise, in rats suckled under distinct litter sizes, alters behavioral parameters suggestive of anxiety and recognition memory, and the electrocorticogram potentiation that occurs after the excitability-related phenomenon that is known as cortical spreading depression (CSD). METHODS Male Wistar rats were suckled in litters with six or 12 pups (L6 and L12 groups). Animals swam at postnatal days (P) 8-23, or P60-P75 (early-exercised or late-exercised groups, respectively), or remained no-exercised. Behavioral tests (open field - OF and object recognition - OR) were conducted between P77 and P80. Between P90 and P120, ECoG was recorded for 2 hours. After this 'baseline' recording, CSD was elicited every 30 minutes over the course of 2 hours. RESULTS Early swimming enhanced the number of entries and the percentage of time in the OF-center (P < 0.05). In animals that swam later, this effect occurred in the L6 group only. Compared to the corresponding sedentary groups, OR-test showed a better memory in the L6 early exercised rats, and a worse memory in all other groups (P < 0.05). In comparison to baseline values, ECoG amplitudes after CSD increased 14-43% for all groups (P < 0.05). In the L6 condition, early swimming and late swimming, respectively, reduced and enhanced the magnitude of the post-CSD ECoG potentiation in comparison with the corresponding L6 no-exercised groups (P < 0.05). DISCUSSION Our data suggest a differential effect of early- and late-exercise on the behavioral and electrophysiological parameters, suggesting an interaction between the age of exercise and the nutritional status during lactation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Barros E Silva-Gondim
- a Laboratory of Nutrition Physiology, Departamento de Nutrição , Universidade Federal de Pernambuco , CEP 50670-901 Recife , PE , Brazil
| | - Thays Kallyne Marinho de Souza
- a Laboratory of Nutrition Physiology, Departamento de Nutrição , Universidade Federal de Pernambuco , CEP 50670-901 Recife , PE , Brazil.,b Colegiado de Nutrição , Universidade de Pernambuco , CEP 56328-903 Petrolina , Pernambuco , Brazil
| | | | - Rubem Carlos Araújo Guedes
- a Laboratory of Nutrition Physiology, Departamento de Nutrição , Universidade Federal de Pernambuco , CEP 50670-901 Recife , PE , Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Vitor-de-Lima SM, Medeiros LDB, Benevides RDDL, Dos Santos CN, Lima da Silva NO, Guedes RCA. Monosodium glutamate and treadmill exercise: Anxiety-like behavior and spreading depression features in young adult rats. Nutr Neurosci 2017; 22:435-443. [PMID: 29125056 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2017.1398301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The route of administration is an important factor in determining the action of some drugs. We previously demonstrated that subcutaneous monosodium glutamate (MSG) accelerated cortical spreading depression (CSD) in the rat and that treadmill exercise attenuated this effect. This study evaluated whether other routes of administration exert the same action by testing orogastric (gavage) and topical cortical MSG administration in treadmill-exercised and sedentary rats. Additionally, in the orogastric treatment we tested anxiety-like behavior. METHODS Exercised and sedentary rats received per gavage water or MSG (1 or 2 g/kg) daily from postnatal (P) day 7 to 27. Behavioral tests (open field and elevated plus-maze) occurred at P53 ± 3. At P56 ± 3, we analyzed CSD parameters (velocity, amplitude, and duration of the negative potential change). Other three groups of rats received an MSG solution (25, 50 or 75 mg/ml) topically to the intact dura mater during CSD recording. RESULTS MSG-gavage increased anxiety-like behavior and the CSD velocities compared with water-treated controls (P < 0.05). Exercise decelerated CSD. In contrast to gavage, which accelerated CSD, topical MSG dose-dependently and reversibly impaired CSD propagation, reduced CSD amplitude and increased CSD duration (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The exercise-dependent attenuation of the effects of MSG confirms our previous results in rats treated subcutaneously with MSG. CSD results suggest two distinct mechanisms for gavage and topical MSG administration. Additionally, data suggest that exercise can help protect the developing and adult brain against the deleterious actions of MSG.
Collapse
|
11
|
Peña-Altamira E, Petralla S, Massenzio F, Virgili M, Bolognesi ML, Monti B. Nutritional and Pharmacological Strategies to Regulate Microglial Polarization in Cognitive Aging and Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2017. [PMID: 28638339 PMCID: PMC5461295 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of microglia, the immune cells of the brain, has experienced a renaissance after the discovery of microglia polarization. In fact, the concept that activated microglia can shift into the M1 pro-inflammatory or M2 neuroprotective phenotypes, depending on brain microenvironment, has completely changed the understanding of microglia in brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Microglia polarization is particularly important in aging since an increased inflammatory status of body compartments, including the brain, has been reported in elderly people. In addition, inflammatory markers, mainly derived from activated microglia, are widely present in neurodegenerative diseases. Microglial inflammatory dysfunction, also linked to microglial senescence, has been extensively demonstrated and associated with cognitive impairment in neuropathological conditions related to aging. In fact, microglia polarization is known to influence cognitive function and has therefore become a main player in neurodegenerative diseases leading to dementia. As the life span of human beings increases, so does the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction. Thus, therapeutic strategies aimed to modify microglia polarization are currently being developed. Pharmacological approaches able to shift microglia from M1 pro-inflammatory to M2 neuroprotective phenotype are actually being studied, by acting on many different molecular targets, such as glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) β, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), histone deacetylases (HDACs), etc. Furthermore, nutritional approaches can also modify microglia polarization and, consequently, impact cognitive function. Several bioactive compounds normally present in foods, such as polyphenols, can have anti-inflammatory effects on microglia. Both pharmacological and nutritional approaches seem to be promising, but still need further development. Here we review recent data on these approaches and propose that their combination could have a synergistic effect to counteract cognitive aging impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD) through immunomodulation of microglia polarization, i.e., by driving the shift of activated microglia from the pro-inflammatory M1 to the neuroprotective M2 phenotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabrina Petralla
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Massenzio
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Marco Virgili
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Maria L Bolognesi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Monti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Schoeman JC, Steyn SF, Harvey BH, Brink CB. Long-lasting effects of fluoxetine and/or exercise augmentation on bio-behavioural markers of depression in pre-pubertal stress sensitive rats. Behav Brain Res 2017; 323:86-99. [PMID: 28143768 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Juvenile depression is of great concern with only limited treatment currently approved. Delayed onset of action, low remission and high relapse rates, and potential long-lasting consequences further complicates treatment and highlights the need for new treatment options. Studies reporting on long-lasting effects of early-life treatment have reported conflicting results, with the pre-adolescent period mostly overlooked. The anti-depressive effect of exercise, as a possible treatment option or augmentation strategy, is dependent on age and exercise intensity. We investigated the immediate (i.e. postnatal day 35 (PND35)) and lasting (PND60 to PND61) effects of pre-pubertal (PND21 to PND34) fluoxetine and/or exercise on bio-behavioural markers of depression and oxidative stress in stress sensitive Flinders Sensitive Line rats. Low, but not moderate, intensity exercise or 5, but not 10, mg/kg/day fluoxetine displayed anti-depressant-like properties at PND35. Pre-pubertal treatment with 5mg/kg/day fluoxetine or low intensity exercise exerted lasting anti-depressive-like effects into adulthood, whereas the combination of these two treatments did not. Furthermore, the combination of fluoxetine plus exercise reduced hippocampal BDNF levels as compared to exercise alone, which may explain the latter findings. In all treatment groups hippocampal SOD activity was significantly increased at PND61, suggesting an increased anti-oxidant capacity in adulthood. In conclusion, the data confirm the anti-depressant-like properties of both early-life fluoxetine and exercise in a genetic animal model of depression. However, optimal lasting effects of early-life interventions may require adjustment of antidepressant dose and/or exercise intensity to developmental age, and that a combination of antidepressant and exercise may not necessarily be augmentative.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacobus C Schoeman
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, North West, South Africa
| | - Stephanus F Steyn
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, North West, South Africa
| | - Brian H Harvey
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, North West, South Africa
| | - Christiaan B Brink
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, North West, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Neonatal l-glutamine modulates anxiety-like behavior, cortical spreading depression, and microglial immunoreactivity: analysis in developing rats suckled on normal size- and large size litters. Amino Acids 2016; 49:337-346. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-016-2365-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
14
|
Therapeutic Ultrasound and Treadmill Training Suppress Peripheral Nerve Injury-Induced Pain in Rats. Phys Ther 2016; 96:1545-1553. [PMID: 27126126 DOI: 10.2522/ptj.20140379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although evidence suggests that therapeutic ultrasound (TU) in combination with treadmill training (TT) suppresses nerve injury-associated pain, the molecular mechanisms for this action are not clear. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this research was to study the possible beneficial effects of TU and TT, alone and in combination, on 2 clinical indicators of neuropathic pain and correlate these findings with changes in inflammatory mediators within the spinal cord. Our experimental model used the well-known chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the rat sciatic nerve. DESIGN This was an experimental study. METHODS Each group contained 10 rats. Group 1 underwent only the CCI procedure. Group 2 underwent a sham operation where the sciatic nerve was exposed but not ligated. Group 3 had the sham operation followed by both TT and TU. Groups 4, 5, and 6 underwent the CCI procedure followed by TT alone, TU alone, and both the TT and TU interventions, respectively. Heat and mechanical sensitivity, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) were evaluated. RESULTS Compared with group 1 animals, TT or TU, or both, produced smaller decreases in mechanical withdrawal threshold and heat withdrawal latencies. The combination of TT and TU was more effective than either treatment alone. In addition, rats that received these treatments did not express the upregulation of IL-6 and Iba1 in their spinal cords on postoperative days 14 and 28, as was found in the group 1 animals. LIMITATIONS These experimental findings may not be generalizable to humans. CONCLUSIONS The combination of TU and TT reduces neuropathic pain more than either modality alone. This beneficial effect appears related to downregulation of proinflammatory IL-6 and Iba1, while upregulating the anti-inflammatory IL-10.
Collapse
|
15
|
Kalogeraki E, Pielecka-Fortuna J, Hüppe JM, Löwel S. Physical Exercise Preserves Adult Visual Plasticity in Mice and Restores it after a Stroke in the Somatosensory Cortex. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:212. [PMID: 27708575 PMCID: PMC5030272 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The primary visual cortex (V1) is widely used to study brain plasticity, which is not only crucial for normal brain function, such as learning and memory, but also for recovery after brain injuries such as stroke. In standard cage (SC) raised mice, experience-dependent ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in V1 declines with age and is compromised by a lesion in adjacent and distant cortical regions. In contrast, mice raised in an enriched environment (EE), exhibit lifelong OD plasticity and are protected from losing OD plasticity after a stroke-lesion in the somatosensory cortex. Since SC mice with an access to a running wheel (RW) displayed preserved OD plasticity during aging, we investigated whether physical exercise might also provide a plasticity promoting effect after a cortical stroke. To this end, we tested if adult RW-raised mice preserved OD plasticity after stroke and also if short-term running after stroke restored OD plasticity to SC mice. Indeed, unlike mice without a RW, adult RW mice continued to show OD plasticity even after stroke, and a 2 weeks RW experience after stroke already restored lost OD plasticity. Additionally, the experience-enabled increase of the spatial frequency and contrast threshold of the optomotor reflex of the open eye, normally lost after a stroke, was restored in both groups of RW mice. Our data suggest that physical exercise alone can not only preserve visual plasticity into old age, but also restore it after a cortical stroke.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evgenia Kalogeraki
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, JFB Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August Universität GöttingenGöttingen, Germany; Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB)Göttingen, Germany
| | - Justyna Pielecka-Fortuna
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, JFB Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
| | - Janika M Hüppe
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, JFB Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
| | - Siegrid Löwel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, JFB Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gomes JR, Freitas JR, Grassiolli S. Effects of Physical Exercise on the Intestinal Mucosa of Rats Submitted to a Hypothalamic Obesity Condition. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2016; 299:1389-96. [PMID: 27488821 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The small intestine plays a role in obesity as well as in satiation. However, the effect of physical exercise on the morphology and function of the small intestine during obesity has not been reported to date. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of physical exercise on morphological aspects of the rat small intestine during hypothalamic monosodium glutamate (MSG)-induced obesity. The rats were divided into four groups: Sedentary (S), Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Exercised (E), and Exercised Monosodium Glutamate (EMSG). The MSG and EMSG groups received a daily injection of monosodium glutamate (4 g/kg) during the 5 first days after birth. The S and E groups were considered as control groups and received injections of saline. At weaning, at 21 days after birth, the EMSG and E groups were submitted to swimming practice 3 times a week until the 90th day, when all groups were sacrificed and the parameters studied recorded. Exercise significantly reduced fat deposits and the Lee Index in MSG-treated animals, and also reduced the thickness of the intestinal wall, the number of goblet cells and intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity. However, physical activity alone increased the thickness and height of villi, and the depth of the crypts. In conclusion, regular physical exercise may alter the morphology or/and functions of the small intestine, reducing the prejudicial effects of hypothalamic obesity. Anat Rec, 299:1389-1396, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J R Gomes
- Departamento de Biologia Estrutural Molecular e Genetica, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil, Avenida Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, Ponta Grossa, PR, CEP 84030-900, Brazil.
| | - J R Freitas
- Departamento de Biologia Estrutural Molecular e Genetica, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil, Avenida Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, Ponta Grossa, PR, CEP 84030-900, Brazil
| | - S Grassiolli
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná -Campus de Cascavel, Rua Universitária, 2069, Bairro: Jardim Universitário, CEP 85819-110, Cascavel, PR, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Valença MM, da Silva AA, Bordini CA. Headache Research and Medical Practice in Brazil: An Historical Overview. Headache 2015; 55 Suppl 1:4-31. [DOI: 10.1111/head.12512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Moraes Valença
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Unit; Department of Neuropsychiatry; Federal University of Pernambuco; Recife Brazil
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Unit, Hospital Esperança; Brazil
| | - Amanda Araújo da Silva
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Unit; Department of Neuropsychiatry; Federal University of Pernambuco; Recife Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|