International Neurourology Journal 2014 18 187 197 Aerobic

International Neurourology Journal 2014; 18: 187 -197 Aerobic Exercise Alleviates Ischemia-Induced Memory Impairment by Enhancing Cell Proliferation and Suppressing Neuronal Apoptosis in Hippocampus Tae-Beom Seo 1, Tae-Woon Kim 2, Mal-Soon Shin 2, Eun-Sang Ji 2, Han-Sam Cho 2, Jae. Min Lee 2, Tae-Wook Kim 3, Chang-Ju Kim 2 1 Division of Sports Science & Engineering, Department of Biochemistry, Korea Institute of Sports Science, Seoul, Korea 2 Department of Physiology, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 3 Department of Physical Education, College of Physical Education, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http: //creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc/3. 0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

International Neurourology Journal 2014; 18: 187 -197 INTRODUCTION • Neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) is a possible consequence of several neurological disorders. NLUTD may produce debilitating symptoms and serious complications, such as chronic renal failure, and recurrent urinary tract infections. Many animal studies of NLUTD symptoms have focused on animal models of cerebral ischemia. • In the present study, we investigated the effects of treadmill exercise on memory function and its relation to cell proliferation and apoptosis in the hippocampus, following transient global ischemia in gerbils. MATERIALS AND METHODS • To induce transient global ischemia in gerbil, both common carotid arteries were occluded for 5 minutes. • Gerbils in the exercise groups were forced to run on a treadmill exercise for 30 minutes once a day for 2 weeks. • Step-down avoidance task and Y maze task were performed. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d. UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)- staining, immunohistochemistry for 5 -bromo-2ʹ-deoxyridine, doublecortin, caspase-3, and Western blot for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, caspase-3 were conducted.

International Neurourology Journal 2014; 18: 187 -197 RESULTS • Ischemia caused memory impairment with an increase of cell proliferation, BDNF expression, and apoptosis in the hippocampus. • Treadmill exercise improved memory function with further increase of cell proliferation and BDNF expression and a decrease of apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS • The animal model that we have developed and our assessment of the relation between exercise and brain function can be useful tools for future investigations of NLUTD symptoms associated with stroke, particularly ischemic stroke. The present study suggests that treadmill exercise promoted the recovery of brain function after cerebral ischemia.