Protein increases endurance exercise was isolated and do not exercise as mice, which was seen in genes that promote brain health and stimulate the growth of new nerves involved in learning and memory, scientists report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.
The results, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, may explain the known resistance exercise to improve cognitive function, particularly in the elderly capacity. If the protein can be done in a stable environment and became a drug, which could lead to better treatments for cognitive impairment in the elderly and reduce the number of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's , the researchers said .
" What's exciting is that a natural substance that can be given in the blood that can mimic some of the effects of endurance exercise on the brain ," said Bruce Spiegelman , PhD, of Dana- Farber and HMS . He is co- author of the publication with Michael E. Greenberg , PhD , chairman of neurobiology at HMS .
The Spiegelman group previously reported that the protein, called FNDC5 is produced by muscle and released into the bloodstream as a variant called irisin . In the new study , resistance exercise - mice voluntarily run on a wheel for 30 days - increased the activity of a regulatory molecule metabolism , PGC- 1α , muscles, stimulate increased protein FNDC5 . FNDC5 increased turn increased expression of a protein in the brain - health, BDNF ( brain derived neurotrophic protein ) in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in learning and memory.
Found that exercise stimulates BDNF in the hippocampus, one of the two regions of the adult brain can generate new nerve cells. BDNF promotes the development of new nerve synapses - connections between nerves that allow learning and memory storage - and helps to preserve the survival of brain cells.
How year student BDNF activity in the brain is not known , the new results linking exercise, PGC - 1α , BDNF FNDC5 and provide a molecular pathway for effect , although Spiegelman and colleagues suggest that there are probably others.
After showing that FNDC5 a molecular link between exercise and increased BDNF in the brain , scientists have wondered whether artificially increasing FNDC5 in the absence of exercise have the same effect . They used a harmless virus to deliver the protein to mice via the bloodstream , with the hope of FNDC5 could reach the brain and increase the activity of BDNF . Seven days later , examined the brains of mice and observed a significant increase in BDNF in the hippocampus.
" Perhaps the most interesting result is that in general circumferential FNDC5 delivery with adenoviral vectors is sufficient to induce gene expression of BDNF and other central with potential neuroprotective functions or those involved in learning and memory , "said the authors. Spiegelman cautioned that more research is needed to determine whether the administration FNDC5 's actually improves cognitive function in animals. scientists do not know if the protein in the brain is put FNDC5 himself or irisin , or perhaps another variant of the protein.
Spiegelman said irisin development as a drug require the creation of a more stable form of the protein.