Zarezadehmehrizi A, Hong J, Lee J, Rajabi H, Gharakhanlu R, Naghdi N, Azimi M, Park Y. Exercise training ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in amyloid beta-injected rat model: possible mechanisms of Angiostatin/VEGF signaling.
Metab Brain Dis 2021;
36:2263-2271. [PMID:
34003412 DOI:
10.1007/s11011-021-00751-2]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulates angio/neurogenesis and also tightly links to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although exercise has a beneficial effect on neurovascular function and cognitive function, the direct effect of exercise on VEGF-related signaling and cognitive deficit in AD is incompletely understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of exercise on angiostatin/VEGF cascade and cognitive function in AD model rats. Wistar male rats were randomly divided into five groups: control (CON), injection of DMSO (Sham-CON), CON-exercise (sham-EX), intrahippocampal injection of Aβ (Aβ), and Aβ-exercise (Aβ-EX). Rats in EX groups underwent treadmill exercise for 4 weeks, then the cognitive function was measured by the Morris Water Maze (MWM) test. mRNA levels of hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and angiostatin were determined in hippocampus by RT-PCR. We found that spatial learning and memory were impaired in Aβ-injected rats, but exercise training improved it. Moreover, exercise training increased the reduced mRNA expression level of VEGF signaling, including HIF1α, VEGF, and VEGFR2 in the hippocampus from Aβ-injected rats. Also, the mRNA expression level of angiostatin was elevated in the hippocampus from Aβ-injected rats, and exercise training abrogated its expression. Our findings suggest that exercise training improves cognitive function in Aβ-injected rats, possibly through enhancing VEGF signaling and reducing angiostatin.
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