Treadmill Exercise Impact on Brain Electrophysiological and Glial Immunoreactivity in Cuprizone-Treated Rats
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Demyelination occurs to a variable extent in various neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. Physical exercise benefits central neural functions that depend on the brain’s electrophysiological and glial activity. It is unclear whether both factors...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Cássia Borges Lima-de-Castro Noranege Epifânio Accioly Geórgia de Sousa Ferreira Soares Catarina Nicácio dos-Santos Sonia Carolina Guerrero Prieto Rubem Carlos Araujo Guedes |
| author_facet | Cássia Borges Lima-de-Castro Noranege Epifânio Accioly Geórgia de Sousa Ferreira Soares Catarina Nicácio dos-Santos Sonia Carolina Guerrero Prieto Rubem Carlos Araujo Guedes |
| author_sort | Cássia Borges Lima-de-Castro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives</b>: Demyelination occurs to a variable extent in various neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. Physical exercise benefits central neural functions that depend on the brain’s electrophysiological and glial activity. It is unclear whether both factors—i.e., demyelination and exercise—interact in the brain. We aimed to investigate if this interaction occurs during brain development. <b>Methods:</b> Developing rats were subjected to a cuprizone-induced demyelination. Part of these rats were treadmill-exercised for five weeks. After this period, some demyelinated animals were allowed to remyelinate by receiving a similar diet, without cuprizone, for six weeks. The exercised groups were compared with the corresponding sedentary groups. All groups were evaluated electrophysiologically (cortical spreading depression features), and their brains were processed for immunohistochemical labeling with four specific glial antibodies (anti-APC, MBP, GFAP, and Iba1). <b>Results:</b> Compared with the corresponding controls, cuprizone demyelination and treadmill exercise accelerated and decelerated CSD propagation. Cuprizone reduced APC, MBP, and GFAP immunolabeling and increased Iba1 immunostaining. Remyelination reverted the cuprizone effects. Exercise counteracted the cuprizone-induced changes in GFAP- and Iba1-containing cells but not in MBP- and APC-containing ones. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our data confirmed the effectiveness of the cuprizone demyelination paradigm. They evidenced the potential neuroprotective effect of regular physical exercise, suggesting that this non-pharmacological intervention could benefit patients with central demyelination-dependent diseases. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a4990b3b7bbd458f9a6ffe65a978e657 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-a4990b3b7bbd458f9a6ffe65a978e6572025-08-20T03:08:09ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252025-06-0115768610.3390/brainsci15070686Treadmill Exercise Impact on Brain Electrophysiological and Glial Immunoreactivity in Cuprizone-Treated RatsCássia Borges Lima-de-Castro0Noranege Epifânio Accioly1Geórgia de Sousa Ferreira Soares2Catarina Nicácio dos-Santos3Sonia Carolina Guerrero Prieto4Rubem Carlos Araujo Guedes5Department of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670901, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670901, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670901, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670901, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670901, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670901, Brazil<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Demyelination occurs to a variable extent in various neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. Physical exercise benefits central neural functions that depend on the brain’s electrophysiological and glial activity. It is unclear whether both factors—i.e., demyelination and exercise—interact in the brain. We aimed to investigate if this interaction occurs during brain development. <b>Methods:</b> Developing rats were subjected to a cuprizone-induced demyelination. Part of these rats were treadmill-exercised for five weeks. After this period, some demyelinated animals were allowed to remyelinate by receiving a similar diet, without cuprizone, for six weeks. The exercised groups were compared with the corresponding sedentary groups. All groups were evaluated electrophysiologically (cortical spreading depression features), and their brains were processed for immunohistochemical labeling with four specific glial antibodies (anti-APC, MBP, GFAP, and Iba1). <b>Results:</b> Compared with the corresponding controls, cuprizone demyelination and treadmill exercise accelerated and decelerated CSD propagation. Cuprizone reduced APC, MBP, and GFAP immunolabeling and increased Iba1 immunostaining. Remyelination reverted the cuprizone effects. Exercise counteracted the cuprizone-induced changes in GFAP- and Iba1-containing cells but not in MBP- and APC-containing ones. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our data confirmed the effectiveness of the cuprizone demyelination paradigm. They evidenced the potential neuroprotective effect of regular physical exercise, suggesting that this non-pharmacological intervention could benefit patients with central demyelination-dependent diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/7/686brain developmentcuprizonedemyelinationelectrical activityglial cellsphysical exercise |
| spellingShingle | Cássia Borges Lima-de-Castro Noranege Epifânio Accioly Geórgia de Sousa Ferreira Soares Catarina Nicácio dos-Santos Sonia Carolina Guerrero Prieto Rubem Carlos Araujo Guedes Treadmill Exercise Impact on Brain Electrophysiological and Glial Immunoreactivity in Cuprizone-Treated Rats Brain Sciences brain development cuprizone demyelination electrical activity glial cells physical exercise |
| title | Treadmill Exercise Impact on Brain Electrophysiological and Glial Immunoreactivity in Cuprizone-Treated Rats |
| title_full | Treadmill Exercise Impact on Brain Electrophysiological and Glial Immunoreactivity in Cuprizone-Treated Rats |
| title_fullStr | Treadmill Exercise Impact on Brain Electrophysiological and Glial Immunoreactivity in Cuprizone-Treated Rats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Treadmill Exercise Impact on Brain Electrophysiological and Glial Immunoreactivity in Cuprizone-Treated Rats |
| title_short | Treadmill Exercise Impact on Brain Electrophysiological and Glial Immunoreactivity in Cuprizone-Treated Rats |
| title_sort | treadmill exercise impact on brain electrophysiological and glial immunoreactivity in cuprizone treated rats |
| topic | brain development cuprizone demyelination electrical activity glial cells physical exercise |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/7/686 |
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