Effects of exercise training on behavior and brain function after high dose isoproterenol-induced cardiac damage

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 23576
• Main Authors: Tóth, Kata, Oroszi, Tamás, van der Zee, Eddy A., Nyakas, Csaba, Schoemaker, Regien G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 08.12.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/378; 631/553; 692/308; Animals; Anxiety; Anxiety - metabolism; Anxiety - physiopathology; Brain injury; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - metabolism; Cognition - physiology; Cognitive ability; Exploratory behavior; Exploratory Behavior - physiology; Fibrosis; Fitness training programs; Heart; Heart - drug effects; Heart - physiopathology; Heart Diseases - chemically induced; Heart Diseases - metabolism; Heart Diseases - physiopathology; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - metabolism; Hippocampus - physiopathology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Inflammation; Isoproterenol; Isoproterenol - pharmacology; Male; Microglia; Microglia - metabolism; Microglia - physiology; multidisciplinary; Neuroinflammatory Diseases - metabolism; Neuroinflammatory Diseases - physiopathology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - physiology; Physical Conditioning, Animal - physiology; Physical training; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03107-z

Acute sympathetic stress can result in cardiac fibrosis, but may also lead to mental dysfunction. Exercise training after isoproterenol (ISO)-induced acute sympathetic stress was investigated regarding cardiac damage, neuroinflammation, brain function and behavior. Male Wistar rats (12 months) received ISO or saline. One week later, treadmill running or control handling (sedentary) started. After 4 weeks, cognitive- and exploratory behavior were evaluated, and heart and brain tissues were analyzed regarding cardiac damage, hippocampal neuroinflammation and neuronal function. ISO did not affect cognitive performance nor hippocampal function. However, ISO reduced anxiety, coinciding with locally reduced microglia (processes) size in the hippocampus. Exercise in ISO rats reversed anxiety, did not affect microglia morphology, but increased brain function. Thus, exercise after ISO did not affect cardiac damage, cognition or hippocampal neuroinflammation, but normalized anxiety. Increased localized BDNF expression may indicate improved brain function.