Resistance exercise improves learning and memory and modulates hippocampal metabolomic profile in aged rats. (1st January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Serra, Fernando Tadeu; Cardoso, Fabrizio dos Santos; Petraconi, Nathália; dos Santos, Julio Cesar Claudino; Araujo, Bruno Henrique Silva; Arida, Ricardo Mário; Gomes da Silva, Sérgio
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience letters. Volume 766(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-01-01
• Subjects: Aging -- Cognition -- Brain -- Metabolomic -- Hippocampus -- Resistance exercise training; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Research -- Periodicals; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Neuroanatomie -- Périodiques; Neuropharmacologie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 617.48
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136322
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0304-3940

Abstract

Highlights: Resistance training improves the spatial and aversive memory of aged rats. Neurotransmission-related metabolites are increased by resistance exercise in aged rats. Resistance exercise-induced memory improvement is accompanied by changes in the hippocampal metabolomic profile. Abstract: Physical activity has been considered an important non-medication intervention to preserve mnemonic processes during aging. However, how resistance exercise promotes such benefits remains unclear. A possible hypothesis is that brain-metabolic changes of regions responsible for memory consolidation is affected by muscular training. Therefore, we analyzed the memory, axiety and the metabolomic of aged male Wistar rats (19–20 months old in the 1st day of experiment) submitted to a 12-week resistance exercise protocol (EX, n = 11) or which remained without physical exercise (CTL, n = 13). Barnes maze, elevated plus maze and inhibitory avoidance tests were used to assess the animals' behaviour. The metabolomic profile was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. EX group had better performance in the tests of learning and spatial memory in Barnes maze, and an increase of short and long-term aversive memories formation in inhibitory avoidance. In addition, the exercised animals showed a greater amount of metabolites, such as 4-aminobutyrate, acetate, butyrate, choline, fumarate, glycerol, glycine, histidine, hypoxanthine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, niacinamide, phenylalanine, succinate, tyrosine, valine and a reduction of ascorbate and aspartate compared to the control animals. These data indicate that the improvement in learning and memory of aged rats submitted to resistance exercise program is associated by changes in the hippocampal metabolomic profile.