Serotonergic and noradrenergic lesions suppress the enhancing effect of maternal exercise during pregnancy on learning and memory in rat pups

Physically active pregnancies: Insights from the placenta

Physical activity (PA) positively influences pregnancy, a critical period for health promotion, and affects placental structure and function in ways previously overlooked. Here, we summarize the current body of literature examining the association between PA, placenta biology, and physiology while also highlighting areas where gaps in knowledge exist. PA during pregnancy induces metabolic changes, influencing nutrient availability and transporter expression in the placenta. Hormones and cytokines secreted during PA contribute to health benefits, with intricate interactions in pro- and anti-inflammatory markers. Extracellular vesicles and placental "-omics" data suggest that gestational PA can shape placental biology, affecting gene expression, DNA methylation, metabolite profiles, and protein regulation. However, whether cytokines that respond to PA alter placental proteomic profiles during pregnancy remains to be elucidated. The limited research on placenta mitochondria of physically active gestational parents (gesP), has shown improvements in mitochondrial DNA and antioxidant capacity, but the relationship between PA, placental mitochondrial dynamics, and lipid metabolism remains unexplored. Additionally, PA influences the placenta-immune microenvironment, angiogenesis, and may confer positive effects on neurodevelopment and mental health through placental changes, vascularization, and modulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Ongoing exploration is crucial for unraveling the multifaceted impact of PA on the intricate placental environment.

Resistance exercise was safe for the pregnancy and offspring's development and partially protected rats against early life stress-induced effects

Promising evidence points to gestational physical exercise as the key to preventing various disorders that affect the offspring neurodevelopment, but there are no studies showing the impact of resistance exercise on offspring health. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether resistance exercise during pregnancy is able to prevent or to alleviate the possible deleterious effects on offspring, caused by early life-stress (ELS). Pregnant rats performed resistance exercise throughout the gestational period:they climbed a sloping ladder with a weight attached to their tail, 3 times a week. Male and female pups, on the day of birth (P0), were divided into 4 experimental groups: 1) rats of sedentary mothers (SED group); 2) rats of exercised mothers (EXE group); 3) rats of sedentary mothers and submitted to maternal separation (ELS group) and 4) rats of exercised mothers and submitted to MS (EXE + ELS group). From P1 to P10, pups from groups 3 and 4 were separated from their mothers for 3 h/day. Maternal behavior was assessed. From P30, behavioral tests were performed and on P38 the animals were euthanized and prefrontal cortex samples were collected. Oxidative stress and tissue damage analysis by Nissl staining were performed. Our results demonstrate that male rats are more susceptible to ELS than females, showing impulsive and hyperactive behavior similar to that seen in children with ADHD. This behavior was attenuated by the gestational resistance exercise. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that resistance exercise performed during pregnancy seems to be safe for the pregnancy and offspring's neurodevelopment and are effective in preventing ELS-induced damage only in male rats. Interestingly, resistance exercise during pregnancy improved maternal care and it is reasonable to propose that this finding may be related to the protective role on the animals neurodevelopment, observed in our study.

Beneficial Effects of Maternal Physical Activity during Pregnancy on Fetal, Newborn, and Child Health: Guidelines for Interventions during the Perinatal Period from the French National College of Midwives

The objective of this work is to synthesize current knowledge about the effects of maternal physical activity during pregnancy on children's health. During the prenatal and postnatal periods, maternal physical activity has protective effects against the risks of macrosomia, obesity, and other associated cardiometabolic disorders. Even though longitudinal studies in humans are still necessary to validate them, these effects have been consistently observed in animal studies. A remarkable effect of maternal physical activity is its positive role on neurogenesis, language development, memory, and other cognitive functions related to learning.

Direct and Inherited Epigenetic Changes in the Nervous System Caused by Intensive Locomotion: Possible Adaptive Significance

Abstract

This review is devoted to the analysis of works that investigated the long-term effects of species-specific forms of intensive locomotion on the cognitive functions of animals and humans, which can be transmitted to the next generation. To date, the anxiolytic and cognitive-enhancing long-term effects of intensive locomotion have been demonstrated in humans, rodents, fish, insects, mollusks, and nematodes. In rodents, changes in the central nervous system caused by intense locomotion can be transmitted through the maternal and paternal line to the descendants of the first generation. These include reduced anxiety, improved spatial learning and memory, increased levels of brain neurotrophic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. The shift of the balance of histone acetylation in the hippocampus of rodents towards hyperacetylation, and the balance of DNA methylation towards demethylation manifests itself both as a direct and as a first-generation inherited effect of motor activity. The question about the mechanisms that link locomotion with an increase in the plasticity of a genome in the brain of descendants remains poorly understood, and invertebrate model organisms can be an ideal object for its study. Currently, there is a lack of a theoretical model explaining why motor activity leads to long-term improvement of some cognitive functions that can be transmitted to the next generation and why such an influence could have appeared in evolution. The answer to these questions is not only of fundamental interest, but it is necessary for predicting therapeutic and possible side effects of motor activity in humans. In this regard, the article pays special attention to the review of ideas on the evolutionary aspects of the problem. We propose our own hypothesis, according to which the activating effect of intensive locomotion on the function of the nervous system could have been formed in evolution as a preadaptation to a possible entry into a new environment.

Maternal exercise during pregnancy modulates mitochondrial function and redox status in a sex-dependent way in adult offspring's skeletal muscle

Maternal exercise has shown beneficial effects on mother and child. Literature confirm progeny's cognition improvement, and upregulation in neurotrophins, antioxidant network, and DNA repair system. Considering that there is a lack of information demonstrating the impact of maternal exercise on offspring's skeletal muscle, we aimed to investigate the mitochondrial and redox effects elicited by maternal swimming. Adult female Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control sedentary, free swimming, and swimming with overload (2% of the body weight). Exercised groups were submitted weekly to five swimming sessions (30 min/day), starting 1 week prior to the mating and lasting to the delivery. Gastrocnemius and soleus muscle from 60-day-old offspring were analyzed. Our results clearly showed a sex-dependent effect. Male soleus showed increased mitochondrial functionality in the overload group. Female muscle from the overload group adapted deeply. Considering the redox status, the female offspring delivered to overload exercised dams presented reduced oxidants levels and protein damage, allied to downregulated antioxidant defenses. We also observed an increase in the mitochondrial function in the gastrocnemius muscle of the female offspring born from overload exercised dams. Soleus from female delivered to the overload exercise group presented reduced mitochondrial activity, as well as reduced reactive species, protein carbonyls, and antioxidant network, when compared to the male. In conclusion, maternal exercise altered the redox status and mitochondrial function in the offspring's skeletal muscle in a sex-dependent way. The clinical implication was not investigated; however, the sexual dimorphism in response to maternal exercise might impact exercise resilience in adulthood.

Influence of physical activity before and during pregnancy on infant's sleep and neurodevelopment at 1-year-old

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal physical activity (PA) before and during pregnancy and sleep and developmental problems in 1-year-old infants. We used data from a nationwide cohort study in Japan that registered 103,062 pregnancies between 2011 and 2014. Participants were asked about their PA before and during pregnancy, and the sleep and development of their children at the age of 1 year. Maternal PA was estimated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and was expressed in METs per week. We defined scores below the cut-off points of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) as abnormal for infant development. Based on the levels of PA before or during pregnancy, the participants were divided into five groups. In mothers with higher PA levels, the risk ratio for bedtime after 22:00 or abnormal ASQ scores in their 1-years-old infants were lower. These associations were observed for PA before and during pregnancy. Higher levels of maternal PA, both before and during pregnancy, may reduce sleep and developmental problems in infants.

Beneficial intergenerational effects of exercise on brain and cognition: a multilevel meta-analysis of mean and variance

Physical exercise not only helps to improve physical health but can also enhance brain development and cognition. Recent reports on parental (both maternal and paternal) effects raise the possibility that parental exercise may provide benefits to offspring through intergenerational inheritance. However, the general magnitude and consistency of parental exercise effects on offspring is still controversial. Additionally, empirical research has long overlooked an important aspect of exercise: its effects on variability in neurodevelopmental and cognitive traits. Here, we compiled data from 52 studies involving 4786 rodents (412 effect sizes) to quantify the intergenerational transmission of exercise effects on brain and cognition. Using a multilevel meta-analytic approach, we found that, overall, parental exercise showed a tendency for increasing their offspring's brain structure by 12.7% (albeit statistically non-significant) probably via significantly facilitating neurogenesis (16.5%). Such changes in neural anatomy go in hand with a significant 20.8% improvement in neurobehaviour (improved learning and memory, and reduced anxiety). Moreover, we found parental exercise significantly reduces inter-individual differences (i.e. reduced variance in the treatment group) in progeny's neurobehaviour by 10.2% (coefficient of variation ratio, lnCVR), suggesting the existence of an individual by intervention interaction. The positive effects of exercise are modulated by several covariates (i.e. moderators), such as the exercised parent's sex, offspring's sex, and age, mode of exercise, and exercise timing. In particular, parental forced exercise is more efficient than voluntary exercise at significantly improving offspring neurobehaviour (26.0%) and reducing its variability (14.2%). We observed larger effects when parental exercise started before pregnancy. However, exercising only during pregnancy also had positive effects. Mechanistically, exercise significantly upregulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by 28.9%, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by 35.8%, and significantly decreased hippocampal DNA methylation by 3.5%, suggesting that brain growth factor cascades and epigenetic modifications can moderate the transmission of parental exercise effects. Collectively, by coupling mean with variance effects, our analyses draw a more integrated picture of the benefits that parental exercise has on offspring: not only does it improve offspring brain development and cognitive performance, but it also reduces inter-individual differences in cognition-related traits. We advocate that meta-analysis of variation together with the mean of a trait provides novel insights for old controversies as well as emerging new questions, opening up a new era for generating variance-based hypotheses.

The Contribution of Physical Exercise to Brain Resilience

Increasing attention has been given to understanding resilience to brain diseases, often described as brain or cognitive reserve. Among the protective factors for the development of resilience, physical activity/exercise has been considered to play an important role. Exercise is known to induce many positive effects on the brain. As such, exercise represents an important tool to influence neurodevelopment and shape the adult brain to react to life's challenges. Among many beneficial effects, exercise intervention has been associated with cognitive improvement and stress resilience in humans and animal models. Thus, a growing number of studies have demonstrated that exercise not only recovers or minimizes cognitive deficits by inducing better neuroplasticity and cognitive reserve but also counteracts brain pathology. This is evidenced before disease onset or after it has been established. In this review, we aimed to present encouraging data from current clinical and pre-clinical neuroscience research and discuss the possible biological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of physical exercise on resilience. We consider the implication of physical exercise for resilience from brain development to aging and for some neurological diseases. Overall, the literature indicates that brain/cognitive reserve built up by regular exercise in several stages of life, prepares the brain to be more resilient to cognitive impairment and consequently to brain pathology.

Treadmill exercise in obese maternal rats during pregnancy improves spatial memory through activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway in the hippocampus of rat pups

Maternal nutrition is necessary for the growth of the fetus, and excessive intake of nutrients interferes with brain development in offspring. In the current study, the effect of treadmill running during pregnancy in obese maternal rats on spatial learning memory and spatial working memory in rat pups was investigated. Phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) was also identified in rat pups. Female rats were divided into the normal diet group and the high-fat diet group for 7 weeks, including pregnancy and lactation. Maternal treadmill running was performed for 4 weeks. The born rat pups were classified into a control group, a treadmill exercise group, a high-fat diet group, a high-fat diet and treadmill exercise group according to the status of maternal rats. Radial 8-arm maze task for spatial learning memory and Morris water maze task for spatial working memory were done. Western blot analysis was conducted to determine the expressions of PI3K, Akt, ERK1/2. In the current results, maternal treadmill running during pregnancy improved spatial learning memory and spatial working memory in rat pups born to obese maternal rats. This improving effect of memory was due to the enhanced phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and ERK1/2 by treadmill running.

Treadmill exercise in obese maternal rats during pregnancy improves short-term memory through neurogenesis in the hippocampus of rat pups

Maternal obesity is known to increase the likelihood of offspring becoming obese, high blood pressure, and other metabolic disorders. After inducing obesity, the effect of treadmill exercise in maternal rats during pregnancy on short-term memory was investigated in relation to neurogenesis in rat pups. Short-term memory was declined in rat pups born to obese maternal rats, and treadmill running during pregnancy alleviated short-term memory impairment in rat pups born to obese maternal rats. The number of doublecortin (DCX)-positive and 5-bro-mo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus was decreased in rat pups born to obese maternal rats. Treadmill running during pregnancy increased the number of DCX-positive and BrdU-positive cells in rat pups born to obese maternal rats. Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) in the hippocampus was decreased in the rat pups born to obese maternal rats. Treadmill running during pregnancy increased the expressions of BDNF and TrkB in rat pups born to obese maternal rats. Enhancing effect of short-term memory by treadmill exercise may be due to increased neurogenesis through activation of the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway by treadmill exercise.

Protective effect of maternal exercise against amyloid-β neurotoxicity in the male rat offspring's cerebellum

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) states that intrauterine maternal environment influences postnatal life by programming offspring's metabolism. Intrauterine milieu induced by exercise during pregnancy promotes long-lasting benefits to the offspring's health and seems to offer some resistance against chronic diseases in adult life. Alzheimer's disease is a public health concern with limited treatment options. In the present study, we assessed the potential of maternal exercise during pregnancy in long-term programming of young adult male rat offspring's cerebellar metabolism in conferring neuroprotection against amyloid-β (Aβ) neurotoxicity. Female Wistar rats were submitted to a swimming protocol 1 week prior mating and throughout pregnancy (five sessions/a week lasting 30 min). Aβ oligomers were infused bilaterally in the brain ventricles of 60-day-old male offspring. Fourteen days after surgery, we measured parameters related to redox state, mitochondrial function, and the immunocontent of proteins related to synaptic function. We found that maternal exercise during pregnancy attenuated several parameters in the offspring's male rat cerebellum, such as the reactive species rise, the increase of inducible nitric oxide synthase immunocontent and tau phosphorylation induced by Aβ oligomers, increased mitochondrial fission indicated by dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1), and protein oxidation identified by carbonylation. Strikingly, we find that maternal exercise promotes changes in the rat offspring's cerebellum that are still evident in young adult life. These favorable neurochemical changes in offspring's cerebellum induced by maternal exercise may contribute to a protective phenotype against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity in young adult male rat offspring.

Effect of Maternal Exercise on Diet-induced Redox Imbalance in Hippocampus of Adult Offspring

Physical exercise practice has been increasingly recommended in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, causing a positive effect from body weight/fat loss to improved cognitive function. Maternal exercise seems to induce the same positive lifelong adaptations to the offspring. We hypothesized that maternal exercise can prevent redox imbalance in adult offspring's hippocampus exposed to a high-fat diet (HFD). Female Wistar rats were divided into three groups before and during pregnancy: (1) sedentary, (2) swimming exercise, and (3) swimming exercise with overload. On 60 days of age, the male pups were divided into standard diet or HFD for one month, yielding normal and HFD subgroups for each maternal condition. Maternal interventions did not alter gestational parameters, birth outcomes, and offspring weight gain from weaning to 90 days of age. The HFD consumption increased body fat, which was not prevented by maternal exercise. Serum glucose levels were increased by HFD, an effect that was prevented by unload maternal exercise. In the hippocampus, both maternal exercise intensities could increase antioxidant defense. Hippocampal redox homeostasis was impaired by HFD, causing increased superoxide levels, which was prevented by exercise without load, while overload caused only a reduction of the effect. In summary, the practice of swimming exercise without overload during pregnancy seems to be more beneficial when evaluated in animal model, preventing HFD induced redox imbalance and increasing antioxidant defense while overload swimming exercise during pregnancy demonstrated a negative effect on offspring submitted to HFD consumption.

Enhancing effect of aerobic training on learning and memory performance in rats after long-term treatment with Lacosamide via BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway

Aerobic training has a neuroprotective effect, reduces the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases and facilitates functional recovery. The present study assesses the effect of aerobic training on cognitive functions, hippocampal BDNF/TrkB ligand receptor system expression and serum levels of BDNF and corticosterone in intact rats after chronic treatment with Lacosamide (LCM). Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups. One group was exercised on a treadmill (Ex) and the other one was sedentary (Sed). Half of the rats from each group received saline (veh) while the other half - LCM. The rats underwent a month-long training and LCM treatment before being subjected to one active and two passive avoidance tests. Both trained groups increased significantly the number of avoidances compared with the sedentary animals during the learning session and on memory retention tests, while the number of avoidances of the LCM-treated rats was significantly lower in comparison with the saline-treated animals. Both passive avoidance tests revealed that trained animals spent more time in the lighted compartment or caused longer stay on the platform than did the sedentary rats during acquisition and short- and long-term memory retention tests. Aerobic training increased BDNF and TrkB hippocampal immunoreactivity. We found no significant difference between BDNF serum levels but corticosterone levels of the Sed-LCM rats were lower than those of the Sed-veh animals. Our results show that aerobic training increases the hippocampal BDNF/TrkB expression suggesting a role in preventing the negative effect of Lacosamide on cognitive functions in rats.

Maternal voluntary exercise ameliorates learning deficit in rat pups exposed, in utero, to valproic acid; role of BDNF and VEGF and their receptors

In utero exposure to therapeutic doses of valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy can produce physical malformation and CNS abnormalities in the offspring. There is evidence indicating that even lower doses of VPA during pregnancy could cause cognitive impairment in offspring. It has been demonstrated that maternal exercise has positive effects on offspring's cognitive function. In this study we evaluated the preventive potential of maternal voluntary exercise on cognitive deficits induced by in utero exposure to VPA, in rat pups. Furthermore, the alteration of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and their respective receptors were measured. In treatment groups, pregnant rats received VPA (10 and 20 mg/kg) daily on the gestation days (GD) 7 for twelve days with or without access to a running wheel. In control groups, rats received saline with or without access to a running wheel. On postnatal day (PND) 30, learning and memory of rat pups were assessed using the Morris Water Maze (MWM) task. Also, on PND 30, hippocampal BDNF and VEGF were measured by ELISA and western blot analysis respectively. VEGFR (VEGF receptor) and TrkB (Tyrosine receptor kinase B, the receptor for BDNF) expressions were assessed using immunofluorescence staining. Results revealed that maternal voluntary exercise enhanced learning in offspring but had little effect on memory retention. Exposure to VPA during pregnancy disturbed learning and memory in rat pups. Maternal voluntary exercise could ameliorate some aspects of cognitive deficit induced by VPA. TrkB and VEGFR2 expression were enhanced in pups from running mothers. VPA, at both doses, suppressed exercise induced expression of these two receptors. Voluntary exercise and to a much greater extent VPA administration increased hippocampal BDNF. Voluntary exercise of mothers caused an enhance expression of VEGF in rat pups as did VPA administration, although to a smaller amount.

Swimming exercise before and during pregnancy: Promising preventive approach to impact offspring´s health

Several environmental factors affect child development, such as the intrauterine environment during the embryonic and fetal development and early postnatal environment provided by maternal behavior. Although mechanistic effects of maternal exercise on offspring health improvement are not yet completely understood, the number of reports published demonstrating the positive influence of maternal exercise have increase. Herein, we addressed issues related to early postnatal environment provided by maternal behavior and early developmental physical landmarks, sensorimotor reflexes, and motor movements ontogeny. In brief, adult female rats underwent involuntary swimming exercise, in a moderated intensity, one week before mating and throughout pregnancy, 30 min a day, 5 days a week. Maternal exercised dams have unchanged gestational outcomes compared to sedentary dams. We found no differences concerning the frequency of pup-directed behavior displayed by dams. However, sedentary dams displayed a poorer pattern of maternal care quality during dark cycle than exercised dams. Physical landmarks and sensorimotor reflexes development of female and male littermates did not differ between maternal groups. Developmental motor parameters such as immobility, lateral head movements, head elevation, pivoting, rearing with forelimb support and crawling frequencies did not differ between groups. Pups born to exercised dams presented higher frequency of walking and rearing on the hind legs. These data suggest that female and male littermates of exercised group present a high frequency of exploratory behavior over sedentary littermates. Taken together, the present findings reinforce that maternal exercise throughout pregnancy represent a window of opportunity to improve offspring's postnatal health.

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

Alzheimer'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 regular 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 programming. 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, intracerebroventricular (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 offspring 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 exercise group exhibited an augmentation of functional mitochondria, as indicated by increases in mitochondrial mass and membrane potential, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and cytochrome c oxidase enzymes activities. Moreover, maternal exercise during pregnancy induced long-lasting modulation of fusion and fission proteins, Mfn1 and Drp1, respectively. Overall, our data demonstrates a potential protective effect of exercise during pregnancy against AβOs-induced neurotoxicity in the adult offspring brain, by mitigating the neurodegenerative process triggered by Alzheimer-associated AβOs through programming the brain metabolism.

Physical activity during pregnancy and offspring neurodevelopment: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Maternal physical activity (PA) during pregnancy could affect offspring's neurodevelopment. However, studies in humans in early childhood are scarce and show inconsistent results. We aimed to review the literature on the association between physical activity during pregnancy and offspring neurodevelopment.

METHODS

LILACS, MEDLINE and Web of Science were searched for studies published since 1977. Original studies conducted in humans, without language, country, or study type restriction, were eligible. Information on the study methodology like study design, sample size, PA exposure and neurodevelopment assessment, covariates, and the effect measure were extracted from the selected articles.

RESULTS

From 802 non-duplicated titles initially located, 6 articles were selected and included (one randomised clinical trial and 5 cohort studies). The instruments used to measure PA during pregnancy and neurodevelopment varied between the studies. PA was self-reported at different gestational ages and neurodevelopment was assessed prospectively in offspring aged 1-8 years old. Only the randomised clinical trial found no effect of PA over offspring neurodevelopment. Cohort studies found a positive association between PA practice during pregnancy and offspring neurodevelopment.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that leisure-time physical activity practice may have positive association with language offspring's neurodevelopment in the age range of 18 from 60 months.

Brain Metabolism Alterations Induced by Pregnancy Swimming Decreases Neurological Impairments Following Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia in Very Immature Rats

Introduction: Prematurity, through brain injury and altered development is a major cause of neurological impairments and can result in motor, cognitive and behavioral deficits later in life. Presently, there are no well-established effective therapies for preterm brain injury and the search for new strategies is needed. Intra-uterine environment plays a decisive role in brain maturation and interventions using the gestational window have been shown to influence long-term health in the offspring. In this study, we investigated whether pregnancy swimming can prevent the neurochemical metabolic alterations and damage that result from postnatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HI) in very immature rats.

Methods: Female pregnant Wistar rats were divided into swimming (SW) or sedentary (SE) groups. Following a period of adaptation before mating, swimming was performed during the entire gestation. At postnatal day (PND3), rat pups from SW and SE dams had right common carotid artery occluded, followed by systemic hypoxia. At PND4 (24 h after HI), the early neurochemical profile was measured by ¹H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Astrogliosis, apoptosis and neurotrophins protein expression were assessed in the cortex and hippocampus. From PND45, behavioral testing was performed. Diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging were used to evaluate brain microstructure and the levels of proteins were quantified.

Results: Pregnancy swimming was able to prevent early metabolic changes induced by HI preserving the energetic balance, decreasing apoptotic cell death and astrogliosis as well as maintaining the levels of neurotrophins. At adult age, swimming preserved brain microstructure and improved the performance in the behavioral tests.

Conclusion: Our study points out that swimming during gestation in rats could prevent prematurity related brain damage in progeny with high translational potential and possibly interesting cost-benefits.

HIGHLIGHTS

- Prematurity is a major cause of neurodevelopmental impairments;

- Swimming during pregnancy reduces brain damage after HI injury;

- Pregnancy is an important but underestimated preventive window.

Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits

Much evidence shows that physical exercise (PE) is a strong gene modulator that induces structural and functional changes in the brain, determining enormous benefit on both cognitive functioning and wellbeing. PE is also a protective factor for neurodegeneration. However, it is unclear if such protection is granted through modifications to the biological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration or through better compensation against attacks. This concise review addresses the biological and psychological positive effects of PE describing the results obtained on brain plasticity and epigenetic mechanisms in animal and human studies, in order to clarify how to maximize the positive effects of PE while avoiding negative consequences, as in the case of exercise addiction.

α1-Adrenoceptors in the hippocampal dentate gyrus involved in learning-dependent long-term potentiation during active-avoidance learning in rats

The hippocampus is the key structure for learning and memory in mammals and long-term potentiation (LTP) is an important cellular mechanism responsible for learning and memory. The influences of norepinephrine (NE) on the modulation of learning and memory, as well as LTP, through β-adrenoceptors are well documented, whereas the role of α1-adrenoceptors in learning-dependent LTP is not yet clear. In the present study, we measured extracellular concentrations of NE in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region using an in-vivo brain microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques during the acquisition and extinction of active-avoidance behavior in freely moving conscious rats. Next, the effects of prazosin (an antagonist of α1-adrenoceptor) and phenylephrine (an agonist of the α1-adrenoceptor) on amplitudes of field excitatory postsynaptic potential were measured in the DG region during the active-avoidance behavior. Our results showed that the extracellular concentration of NE in the DG was significantly increased during the acquisition of active-avoidance behavior and gradually returned to the baseline level following extinction training. A local microinjection of prazosin into the DG significantly accelerated the acquisition of the active-avoidance behavior, whereas a local microinjection of phenylephrine retarded the acquisition of the active-avoidance behavior. Furthermore, in all groups, the changes in field excitatory postsynaptic potential amplitude were accompanied by corresponding changes in active-avoidance behavior. Our results suggest that NE activation of α1-adrenoceptors in the hippocampal DG inhibits active-avoidance learning by modulation of synaptic efficiency in rats.

Exercise and epigenetic inheritance of disease risk

Epigenetics is the study of gene expression changes that occur in the absence of altered genotype. Current evidence indicates a role for environmentally induced alterations to epigenetic modifications leading to health and disease changes across multiple generations. This phenomenon is called intergenerational or transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of health or disease. Environmental insults, in the form of toxins, plastics and particular dietary interventions, perturb the epigenetic landscape and influence the health of F1 through to F4 generations in rodents. There is, however, the possibility that healthy lifestyles and environmental factors, such as exercise training, could lead to favourable, heritable epigenetic modifications that augment transcriptional programmes protective of disease, including metabolic dysfunction, heart disease and cancer. The health benefits conferred by regular physical exercise training are unquestionable, yet many of the molecular changes may have heritable health implications for future generations. Similar to other environmental factors, exercise modulates the epigenome of somatic cells and researchers are beginning to study exercise epigenetics in germ cells. The germ cell epigenetic modifications affected by exercise offer a molecular mechanism for the inheritance of health and disease risk. The aims of this review are to: (i) provide an update on the expanding field of exercise epigenetics; (ii) offer an overview of data on intergenerational/transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of disease by environmental insults; (iii) to discuss the potential of exercise-induced intergenerational inheritance of health and disease risk; and finally, outline potential mechanisms and avenues for future work on epigenetic inheritance through exercise.

The effect of maternal forced exercise on offspring pain perception, motor activity and anxiety disorder: the role of 5-HT2 and D2 receptors and CREB gene expression

The effect of maternal forced exercise on central disorders in offsprings has been shown but the mechanism is still unclear. In this study, the role of 5-HT2 and D2 receptors in neuroprotective effects of maternal forced exercise on offspring neurodevelopment and neurobehavioral symptoms is evaluated. Sixty pregnant rats were trained by forced exercise and some behavioral and molecular aspects in their offspring were evaluated in presence of 5-HT2 and D2 receptors agonists and antagonists. The results showed that maternal forced exercise causes increase of pain tolerability and increase latency of pain perception in offspring in hot plate test, writhing test and tail flick test. Also maternal forced exercise causes decrease of depression and anxiety like behavior in offsprings. On the other hand, treatment of mothers by forced exercise in combination with 5-HT2 and D2 receptor antagonists inhibited the protective effects of forced exercise and cause disturbance in pain perception and tolerability and increase depression and anxiety in offsprings. Also expression of cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) was changed in all experimental groups. In conclusion, our data suggested that maternal forced exercise causes neurobehavioral protective effect on offsprings and this effect might probably be mediated by 5-HT2 and D2 receptors and activation of CREB gene expression.

Pregnancy swimming causes short- and long-term neuroprotection against hypoxia-ischemia in very immature rats

BackgroundHypoxia-ischemia (HI) is a major cause of neurological damage in preterm newborn. Swimming during pregnancy alters the offspring's brain development. We tested the effects of swimming during pregnancy in the very immature rat brain.MethodsFemale Wistar rats (n=12) were assigned to the sedentary (SE, n=6) or the swimming (SW, n=6) group. From gestational day 0 (GD0) to GD21 the rats in the SW group were made to swim for 20 min/day. HI on postnatal day (PND) 3 rats caused sensorimotor and cognitive impairments. Animals were distributed into SE sham (SESH), sedentary HIP3 (SEHI), swimming sham (SWSH), and swimming HIP3 (SWHI) groups. At PND4 and PND5, Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were assessed. During lactation and adulthood, neurological reflexes, sensorimotor, anxiety-related, and cognitive evaluations were made, followed by histological assessment at PND60.ResultsAt early stages, swimming caused an increase in hippocampal BDNF levels and in the maintenance of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase function in the SWHI group. The SWHI group showed smaller lesions and the preservation of white matter tracts. SEHI animals showed a delay in reflex maturation, which was reverted in the SWHI group. HIP3 induced spatial memory deficits and hypomyelination in SEHI rats, which was reverted in the SWHI group.ConclusionSwimming during pregnancy neuroprotected the brains against HI in very immature neonatal rats.

Paternal physical exercise improves spatial learning ability by enhancing hippocampal neuroplasticity in male pups born from obese maternal rats

Maternal obesity exerts negative effects on cognitive function and behavior of the offspring. In the present study, we assessed the effects of paternal physical exercise on spatial learning ability in relation with hippocampal neuroplasticity in the rat pups born from the obese maternal rats. There were four experimental groups: paternal nonexercised male pups from normal maternal rats, paternal exercised male pups from normal maternal rats, paternal nonexercised male pups from obese maternal rats, and paternal exercised male pups from obese maternal rats. Normal diet was supplied for normal maternal rats and high-fat diet was supplied for obese maternal rats for a 12-week period until mating, and the same diet for each group continued throughout pregnancy and lactation period. Male rats in the exercising groups exercised for a 12-week period. Spatial learning ability was reduced in the male rat pups born from the obese maternal rats. Expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine kinase B receptor (TrkB) in the hippocampus were suppressed and cell proliferation and differentiation in the hippocampus were reduced in the male rat pups born from the obese maternal rats. Paternal treadmill exercise improved spatial learning ability, increased BDNF and TrkB expressions, and enhanced cell proliferation and differentiation in the male rat pups born from the obese maternal rats. It can be suggested that paternal exercise enhances hippocampal neuroplasticity and consequently improved spatial learning ability in the rat pups born from the obese maternal rats.

Physical exercise as an epigenetic modulator of brain plasticity and cognition

A large amount of evidence has demonstrated the power of exercise to support cognitive function, the effects of which can last for considerable time. An emerging line of scientific evidence indicates that the effects of exercise are longer lasting than previously thought up to the point to affect future generations. The action of exercise on epigenetic regulation of gene expression seem central to building an "epigenetic memory" to influence long-term brain function and behavior. In this review article, we discuss new developments in the epigenetic field connecting exercise with changes in cognitive function, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and microRNAs (miRNAs). The understanding of how exercise promotes long-term cognitive effects is crucial for directing the power of exercise to reduce the burden of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

A single bout of exercise increases hippocampal Bdnf: influence of chronic exercise and noradrenaline

Research in human subjects suggests that acute exercise can improve memory performance, but the qualities of the exercise necessary to promote improved memory, and the signaling pathways that mediate these effects are unknown. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), noradrenergic signaling, and post-translational modifications to AMPA receptors have all been implicated in the enhancement of memory following emotional or physical arousal; however, it is not known if a single bout of exercise is sufficient to engage these pathways. Here we use a rodent model to investigate the effects of acute and chronic exercise on hippocampal transcript-specific Bdnf expression and phosphorylation of the GluR1 subunit of the AMPA-type glutamate receptor. A single bout of treadmill exercise was insufficient to mimic the increased expression of GluR1 protein and phosphorylation at Ser845 observed following 1 month of voluntary wheel running. However, acute exercise was sufficient to increase Bdnf transcript IV messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in sedentary subjects, but not subjects housed for 1 month with a running wheel. High-intensity acute exercise increased total Bdnf mRNA in sedentary mice, but not above levels observed following chronic access to the running wheel. Although depletion of central noradrenergic signaling with DSP-4 reduced Bdnf IV mRNA, the effect of acute exercise on Bdnf mRNA persisted. Our characterization of the effects of acute exercise on Bdnf expression and persistence in the absence of noradrenergic modulation may inform strategies to employ physical activity to combat cognitive aging and mental health disorders.

Exercise alters mouse sperm small noncoding RNAs and induces a transgenerational modification of male offspring conditioned fear and anxiety

There is growing evidence that the preconceptual lifestyle and other environmental exposures of a father can significantly alter the physiological and behavioral phenotypes of their children. We and others have shown that paternal preconception stress, regardless of whether the stress was experienced during early-life or adulthood, results in offspring with altered anxiety and depression-related behaviors, attributed to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation. The transgenerational response to paternal preconceptual stress is believed to be mediated by sperm-borne small noncoding RNAs, specifically microRNAs. As physical activity confers physical and mental health benefits for the individual, we used a model of voluntary wheel-running and investigated the transgenerational response to paternal exercise. We found that male offspring of runners had suppressed reinstatement of juvenile fear memory, and reduced anxiety in the light-dark apparatus during adulthood. No changes in these affective behaviors were observed in female offspring. We were surprised to find that running had a limited impact on sperm-borne microRNAs. The levels of three unique microRNAs (miR-19b, miR-455 and miR-133a) were found to be altered in the sperm of runners. In addition, we discovered that the levels of two species of tRNA-derived RNAs (tDRs)-tRNA-Gly and tRNA-Pro-were also altered by running. Taken together, we believe this is the first evidence that paternal exercise is associated with an anxiolytic behavioral phenotype of male offspring and altered levels of small noncoding RNAs in sperm. These small noncoding RNAs are known to have an impact on post-transcriptional gene regulation and can thus change the developmental trajectory of offspring brains and associated affective behaviors.

Maternal Forced Swimming Reduces Cell Proliferation in the Postnatal Dentate Gyrus of Mouse Offspring

Physical exercise positively affects the metabolism and induces proliferation of precursor cells in the adult brain. Maternal exercise likewise provokes adaptations early in the offspring. Using a high-intensity swimming protocol that comprises forced swim training before and during pregnancy, we determined the effect of maternal swimming on the mouse offspring's neurogenesis. Our data demonstrate decreased proliferation in sublayers of the postnatal dentate gyrus in offspring of swimming mother at postnatal day (P) 8 accompanied with decreased survival of newly generated cells 4 weeks later. The reduction in cell numbers was predominantly seen in the hilus and molecular layer. At P35, the reduced amount of cells was also reflected by a decrease in the population of newly generated immature and mature neurons of the granule cell layer. Our data suggest that forced maternal swimming at high-intensity has a negative effect on the neurogenic niche development in postnatal offspring.

Behavioral benefits of maternal swimming are counteracted by neonatal hypoxia-ischemia in the offspring

Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) represents one of the most common causes of neonatal encephalopathy. The central nervous system injury comprises several mechanisms, including inflammatory, excitotoxicity, and redox homeostasis unbalance leading to cell death and cognitive impairment. Exercise during pregnancy is a potential therapeutic tool due to benefits offered to mother and fetus. Swimming during pregnancy elicits a strong metabolic programming in the offspring's brain, evidenced by increased antioxidant enzymes, mitochondrial biogenesis, and neurogenesis. This article aims to evaluate whether the benefits of maternal exercise are able to prevent behavioral brain injury caused by neonatal HI. Female adult Wistar rats swam before and during pregnancy (30min/day, 5 days/week, 4 weeks). At 7(th) day after birth, the offspring was submitted to HI protocol and, in adulthood (60(th) day), it performed the behavioral tests. It was observed an increase in motor activity in the open field test in HI-rats, which was not prevented by maternal exercise. The rats subjected to maternal swimming presented an improved long-term memory in the object recognition task, which was totally reversed by neonatal HI encephalopathy. BDNF brain levels were not altered; suggesting that HI or maternal exercise effects were BDNF-independent. In summary, our data suggest a beneficial long-term effect of maternal swimming, despite not being robust enough to protect from HI injury.

Maternal Exercise during Pregnancy Increases BDNF Levels and Cell Numbers in the Hippocampal Formation but Not in the Cerebral Cortex of Adult Rat Offspring

Clinical evidence has shown that physical exercise during pregnancy may alter brain development and improve cognitive function of offspring. However, the mechanisms through which maternal exercise might promote such effects are not well understood. The present study examined levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and absolute cell numbers in the hippocampal formation and cerebral cortex of rat pups born from mothers exercised during pregnancy. Additionally, we evaluated the cognitive abilities of adult offspring in different behavioral paradigms (exploratory activity and habituation in open field tests, spatial memory in a water maze test, and aversive memory in a step-down inhibitory avoidance task). Results showed that maternal exercise during pregnancy increased BDNF levels and absolute numbers of neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the hippocampal formation of offspring. No differences in BDNF levels or cell numbers were detected in the cerebral cortex. It was also observed that offspring from exercised mothers exhibited better cognitive performance in nonassociative (habituation) and associative (spatial learning) mnemonic tasks than did offspring from sedentary mothers. Our findings indicate that maternal exercise during pregnancy enhances offspring cognitive function (habituation behavior and spatial learning) and increases BDNF levels and cell numbers in the hippocampal formation of offspring.

Lifelong parental voluntary wheel running increases offspring hippocampal Pgc-1α mRNA expression but not mitochondrial content or Bdnf expression

When exercise is initiated during pregnancy, offspring of physically active mothers have higher hippocampal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) and other plasticity-associated and mitochondria-associated genes, resulting in hippocampal structural and functional adaptations. In the present study, we examined the effects of lifelong parental voluntary wheel running (before, during, and after pregnancy) on offspring hippocampal mRNA expression of genes implicated in the exercise-induced improvement of cognitive function. C57BL/6 mice were individually housed at 8 weeks of age with (EX, n=20) or without (SED, n=20) access to a computer-monitored voluntary running wheel for 12 weeks before breeding. EX breeders maintained access to the voluntary running wheel throughout breeding, pregnancy, and lactation. Male offspring were housed in sedentary cages, regardless of the parental group, and were killed at 8 (n=18) or 28 weeks (n=19). PCR was used to assess mRNA expression of several genes and mitochondrial content (ratio of mitochondrial to nuclear DNA) in hippocampal homogenates. We found significantly higher peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1 α (Pgc-1α) mRNA expression in EX offspring compared with SED offspring at 8 weeks (P=0.04), although the effect was no longer present at 28 weeks. There was no difference in mitochondrial content or expression of Bdnf or any other mRNA target between offspring at 8 and 28 weeks. In contrast to exercise initiated during pregnancy, parental voluntary physical activity initiated early in life and maintained throughout pregnancy has little effect on offspring mRNA expression of genes implicated in exercise-induced hippocampal plasticity.

Preconception endurance training with voluntary exercise during pregnancy positively influences on remodeling markers in female offspring bone

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we investigate the effects of preconception endurance training with or without voluntary exercise during pregnancy on indices of bone formation and resorption in female offspring bone.

METHODS

Twenty-four C57BL/6 female mice were randomly divided into four groups: trained in preconception period and exercised during pregnancy (TE); trained in preconception periods but unexercised during pregnancy (TC); untrained in preconception periods but exercised during pregnancy (CE); untrained and unexercised (CC). Trained dams were subjected to a protocol of moderate exercise training over a period of 4 weeks before pregnancy. Analyses were performed on the adult female offspring that did not have access to running wheels in any portion of their lives.

RESULTS

The OPG, Runx2, COLI, ALP, and OPN mRNA expression was significantly up-regulated in offspring born to dams that was trained in preconception period. However, there was no significant difference in OPG, COLI, Runx2, and ALP expression in TE and TC offspring (p > 0.05). RANKL and osteocalcin expression were significantly down-regulated in TE offspring group (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Improved physical fitness in preconception period results in significant changes in bone gene expressions of female offspring, in particular towards osteogenic responses with improved RANKL/OPG ratio.

How the Body Talks to the Brain; Peripheral Mediators of Physical Activity-Induced Proliferation in the Adult Hippocampus

In the hippocampal dentate gyrus, stem cells maintain the capacity to produce new neurons into adulthood. These adult-generated neurons become fully functional and are incorporated into the existing hippocampal circuit. The process of adult neurogenesis contributes to hippocampal functioning and is influenced by various environmental, hormonal and disease-related factors. One of the most potent stimuli of neurogenesis is physical activity (PA). While the bodily and peripheral changes of PA are well known, e.g. in relation to diet or cardiovascular conditions, little is known about which of these also exert central effects on the brain. Here, we discuss PA-induced changes in peripheral mediators that can modify hippocampal proliferation, and address changes with age, sex or PA duration/intensity. Of the many peripheral factors known to be triggered by PA, serotonin, FGF-2, IGF-1, VEGF, β-endorphin and adiponectin are best known for their stimulatory effects on hippocampal proliferation. Interestingly, while age negatively affects hippocampal proliferation per se, also the PA-induced response to most of these peripheral mediators is reduced and particularly the response to IGF-1 and NPY strongly declines with age. Sex differences per se have generally little effects on PA-induced neurogenesis. Compared to short term exercise, long term PA may negatively affect proliferation, due to a parallel decline in FGF-2 and the β-endorphin receptor, and an activation of the stress system particularly during conditions of prolonged exercise but this depends on other variables as well and remains a matter of discussion. Taken together, of many possible mediators, serotonin, FGF-2, IGF-1, VEGF, β-endorphin and adiponectin are the ones that most strongly contribute to the central effects of PA on the hippocampus. For a subgroup of these factors, brain sensitivity and responsivity is reduced with age.

Physical activity and brain development

Brain development is a complex process, and stimuli during this developmental period may modulate the brain's functional maturation and determine its lifelong integrity. Human and animal studies have shown that environmental stimuli such as physical activity habits seem to have a favorable influence on brain development. Research on humans has demonstrated improvement in cognitive performance in the children of women who exercised regularly throughout pregnancy and in individuals who were physically active during childhood and adolescence. Investigations using animal models have also reported that physical activity improves the cognitive function of developing rats. In this review, we will present the neurobiological mechanisms of such effects.

Maternal physical activity before and during the prenatal period and the offspring's academic performance in youth. The UP&DOWN study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of maternal physical activity before and during pregnancy with academic performance in youth.

METHODS

This study included 1868 youth (6-18 years) and their mothers. Mothers recalled their physical activity before and during pregnancy. Mothers were categorized into four groups: "remained active", "became inactive", "became active" and "remained inactive". Academic performance was assessed through school records.

RESULTS

Boys whose mothers practiced physical activity before or during pregnancy had significantly higher scores in academic performance indicators independently of physical activity, fitness, current body mass index (BMI) and birthweight than those whose mothers did not practice physical activity before or during pregnancy (all p < 0.05). In addition, boys whose mothers remained active had higher scores in all academic indicators (ranging from +0.358 to +0.543) than boys whose mothers remained inactive. Boys whose mothers remained active had higher scores in Language (score +0.546; 95% CI, 0.150-0.940), average of Math and Language (score +0.468; 95% CI, 0.100-0.836) and grade point average (GPA) (score +0.368; 95% CI, 0.092-0.644) than boys whose mothers became active.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal physical activity before and during pregnancy may positively influence youth's academic performance. Continuing maternal physical activity practice during pregnancy may have greater benefits for youth's academic performance.

Maternal lifestyle during pregnancy and child psychomotor development - Polish Mother and Child Cohort study

BACKGROUND

Nowadays special attention is paid to prenatal exposures to maternal lifestyle factors and their impact on a child development.

AIM

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of modifiable maternal lifestyle factors on child neurodevelopment based on the Polish Mother and Child Cohort study.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The current analysis included 538 mother-child pairs. The following factors related to maternal lifestyle were considered: smoking and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure (based on the cotinine level in maternal saliva measured using LC-ESI+MS/MS method), alcohol consumption and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in pregnancy, pre-pregnancy BMI, and folic acid supplementations before and during pregnancy based on questionnaire data. Psychomotor development was assessed in children at the ages of one and two by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development.

RESULTS

Significant association was observed between prenatal exposure to tobacco constituents and a decreased child motor development in assessments performed at both ages (β=-0.8, p=0.01; β=-1.4, p<0.001). Maternal pre-pregnancy underweight was associated with decreased language abilities at 12 months of age (β=-5.2, p=0.01) and cognitive and motor development at 24 months of age, for which the associations were of borderline significance (p=0.06). The recommended level of LTPA during pregnancy was beneficial for child language development at two years of age (β=4.8, p=0.02). For alcohol and folic acid consumption there were no significant associations with any of the analyzed domains of child neurodevelopment.

CONCLUSIONS

Children prenatally exposed to tobacco compounds and those of underweight mothers had a decreased psychomotor development. The recommended level of LTPA during pregnancy had positive impact on child development. These results underscore the importance of policies and public health interventions promoting healthy lifestyle among women in reproductive age and during pregnancy.

Oxidative stress status and placental implications in diabetic rats undergoing swimming exercise after embryonic implantation

The potential benefits and risks of physical exercise on fetal development during pregnancy remain unclear. The aim was to analyze maternal oxidative stress status and the placental morphometry to relate to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) from diabetic female rats submitted to swimming program after embryonic implantation. Pregnant Wistar rats were distributed into 4 groups (11 animals/group): control-nondiabetic sedentary rats, control exercised-nondiabetic exercised rats, diabetic-diabetic sedentary rats, and diabetic exercised-diabetic exercised rats. A swimming program was used as an exercise model. At the end of pregnancy, the maternal oxidative stress status, placental morphology, and fetal weight were analyzed. The swimming program was not efficient to reduce the hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress. This fact impaired placental development, resulting in altered blood flow and energy reserves, which contributed to a deficient exchange of nutrients and oxygen for the fetal development, leading to IUGR.

Moderate exercise during pregnancy in Wistar rats alters bone and body composition of the adult offspring in a sex-dependent manner

Exercise during pregnancy may have long-lasting effects on offspring health. Musculoskeletal growth and development, metabolism, and later-life disease risk can all be impacted by the maternal environment during pregnancy. The skeleton influences glucose handling through the actions of the bone-derived hormone osteocalcin. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of moderate maternal exercise during pregnancy on the bone and body composition of the offspring in adult life, and to investigate the role of osteocalcin in these effects. Groups of pregnant Wistar rats either performed bipedal standing exercise to obtain food/water throughout gestation but not lactation, or were fed conventionally. Litters were reduced to 8/dam and pups were raised to maturity under control conditions. Whole body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and ex vivo peripheral quantitative computed tomography scans of the right tibia were performed. At study termination blood and tissue samples were collected. Serum concentrations of fully and undercarboxylated osteocalcin were measured, and the relative expression levels of osteocalcin, insulin receptor, Forkhead box transcription factor O1, and osteotesticular protein tyrosine phosphatase mRNA were quantified. Body mass did not differ between the offspring of exercised and control dams, but the male offspring of exercised dams had a greater % fat and lower % lean than controls (p=0.001 and p=0.0008, respectively). At the mid-tibial diaphysis, offspring of exercised dams had a lower volumetric bone mineral density than controls (p=0.01) and in the male offspring of exercised dams the bone: muscle relationship was fundamentally altered. Serum concentrations of undercarboxylated osteocalcin were significantly greater in the male offspring of exercised dams than in controls (p=0.02); however, the relative expression of the measured genes did not differ between groups. These results suggest that moderate exercise during pregnancy can result in lasting changes to the musculoskeletal system and adiposity in offspring, in a sex-specific manner.

Physical exercise during pregnancy improves object recognition memory in adult offspring

Exercising during pregnancy has been shown to improve spatial learning and short-term memory, as well as increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA levels and hippocampal cell survival in juvenile offspring. However, it remains unknown if these effects endure into adulthood. In addition, few studies have considered how maternal exercise can impact cognitive functions that do not rely on the hippocampus. To address these issues, the present study tested the effects of maternal exercise during pregnancy on object recognition memory, which relies on the perirhinal cortex (PER), in adult offspring. Pregnant rats were given access to a running wheel throughout gestation and the adult male offspring were subsequently tested in an object recognition memory task at three different time points, each spaced 2-weeks apart, beginning at 60 days of age. At each time point, offspring from exercising mothers were able to successfully discriminate between novel and familiar objects in that they spent more time exploring the novel object than the familiar object. The offspring of non-exercising mothers were not able to successfully discriminate between objects and spent an equal amount of time with both objects. A subset of rats was euthanized 1h after the final object recognition test to assess c-FOS expression in the PER. The offspring of exercising mothers had more c-FOS expression in the PER than the offspring of non-exercising mothers. By comparison, c-FOS levels in the adjacent auditory cortex did not differ between groups. These results indicate that maternal exercise during pregnancy can improve object recognition memory in adult male offspring and increase c-FOS expression in the PER; suggesting that exercise during the gestational period may enhance brain function of the offspring.

Effects of voluntary exercise on hippocampal long-term potentiation in morphine-dependent rats

This study was designed to examine the effect of voluntary exercise on hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) in morphine-dependent rats. The rats were randomly distributed into the saline-sedentary (Sal/Sed), the dependent-sedentary, the saline-exercise (Sal/Exc), and the dependent-exercise (D/Exc) groups. The Sal/Exc and the D/Exc groups were allowed to freely exercise in a running wheel for 10 days. The Sal/Sed and the morphine-sedentary groups were kept sedentary for the same extent of time. Morphine (10 mg/kg) was injected bi-daily (12 h interval) during 10 days of voluntary exercise. On day 11, 2h after the morphine injection, the in vivo LTP in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus was examined. The theta frequency primed bursts were delivered to the perforant path for induction of LTP. Population spike (PS) amplitude and the field excitatory post-synaptic potentials (fEPSP) slope were measured as indices of increase in synaptic efficacy. Chronic morphine increased the mean basal EPSP, and augmented PS-LTP. Exercise significantly increased the mean baseline EPSP and PS responses, and augmented PS-LTP in both saline and morphine-treated groups. Moreover, the increase of PS-LTP in the morphine-exercise group was greater (22.5%), but not statistically significant, than that of the Sal/Exc group. These results may imply an additive effect between exercise and morphine on mechanisms of synaptic plasticity. Such an interaction between exercise and chronic morphine may influence cognitive functions in opiate addicts.