Prepro-galanin messenger RNA levels are increased in rat locus coeruleus after treadmill exercise training

The effects of treadmill exercise training on prepro-galanin (GAL) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene expression in the locus coeruleus (LC) were examined. Male Fischer-344 rats (n=9) were assigned to 6 weeks of treadmill running. An additional group of animals comprised the sedentary home cage control group (n=9). Levels of GAL and TH messenger RNA (mRNA) in the LC were measured using in situ hybridization histochemistry with autoradiography. Levels of GAL mRNA were higher in treadmill trained animals compared to sedentary animals, but there was no effect of treadmill running on TH mRNA. These results suggest that gene expression for galanin is responsive to repeated exercise stress and may have a neuromodulatory role in LC-noradrenergic adaptation to treadmill exercise training.