Abstract
PURPOSE: Exercise has been shown to protect against diverse brain diseases. Voluntary exercise improves cognition and has a neuroprotective effect. The aim of this investigation is to study the effect of voluntary wheel running on brain inflammation in rats with regard to inflammation and apoptosis. METHODS: Brain inflammation was caused by intracranial injection of lipopolysaccharide using a stereotaxic instrument. Voluntary wheel running group were conducted during 21 consecutive days, staring 2 days after brain inflammation. RESULTS: Brain inflammation increased proinflammatory cytokine production and apoptosis cell death in the hippocampus. There changes in the hippocampus deteriorated spatial learning memory. However, voluntary wheel running suppressed the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and apoptotic neuronal cell death via inactivation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)/NF-κB inhibitor-α pathway. Voluntary wheel running also promoted the recovery of the spatial learning memory impairment. CONCLUSION: Voluntary wheel running after brain inflammation enhanced spatial learning memory by suppressing proinflammatory cytokine secretion and apoptosis cell death. Voluntary wheel running is also expected to be effective in inflammatory diseases of the urogenital system.