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Voluntary running exercise modifies astrocytic population and features in the peri-infarct cortex
Natsumi Yamaguchi1,2, Toshinori Sawano1, Jin Nakatani1
1Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan.
IBRO Neuroscience Reports
|March 7, 2023
Summary
Voluntary running exercise after brain stroke enhances neuronal recovery by altering glial cell populations and their gene expression in the brain. This rehabilitative approach positively impacts neuronal morphology and dendritic spine density.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Rehabilitative exercise post-brain stroke benefits neuronal morphological plasticity.
- Voluntary running exercise aids functional recovery and mitigates dendritic spine loss after focal cerebral ischemia.
- The perineuronal environment, influenced by glial cells, impacts neuronal morphology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of voluntary running exercise on glial cells following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).
- To understand how exercise modulates astrocyte populations and phenotypes in the peri-infarct cortex.
Main Methods:
- Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in rodents.
- Voluntary running exercise as a post-stroke intervention.
- Immunohistochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes.
- Transcriptomic analysis of post-ischemic astrocytes.
- Gene ontology analysis.
- Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) expression analysis.
Main Results:
- Voluntary running increased GFAP-positive astrocytes born early post-MCAO.
- Transcriptomic analysis revealed 10 upregulated and 70 downregulated genes in astrocytes post-exercise.
- Gene ontology analysis linked downregulated genes to neuronal morphology.
- Exercise reduced the number of LCN2-expressing astrocytes, a regulator of dendritic spine density.
Conclusions:
- Voluntary running exercise alters the composition and phenotype of the astrocytic population in the peri-infarct cortex after MCAO.
- These exercise-induced changes in astrocytes may contribute to improved neuronal morphology and functional recovery post-stroke.
Keywords:
ACSA-2, astrocyte cell surface antigen-2AstrocytesBrdU, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridineCerebral ischemiaDEG, differentially expressed geneEDTA, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acidFBS, fetal bovine serumGFAP, glial fibrillary acidic proteinGO, gene ontologyGST-π, glutathione S-transferase-πGstp1, glutathione S-transferase, pi 1Gstp2, glutathione S-transferase, pi 2Iba1, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1Ig, immunoglobulinLcn2, lipocalin 2MCAO, middle cerebral artery occlusionPBS, phosphate-buffered salinePFA, 4% paraformaldehydePOD, post-operative dayProliferationTUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick 3’-end labelingTranscriptomeVegfa, vascular endothelial growth factor AVoluntary running exerciseVtn, vitronectinqPCR, quantitative polymerase chain reaction
