JOURNAL OF SHANGHAI JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY (MEDICAL SCIENCE) ›› 2021, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (10): 1285-1289.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8115.2021.10.002

• Basic research • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of wheeling-running exercise on AKT/mTOR pathway activity and motor-evoked potential in cortical neurons of mice

Ling-rong YI1(), Bo-tao TAN1, Zu-xiong ZHAN1, Yuan LIU2, Ying YIN1, Le-hua YU1()   

  1. 1.Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China
    2.State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Research Institute of Surgery, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
  • Online:2021-10-28 Published:2021-09-03
  • Contact: Le-hua YU E-mail:yilingr@mail2.sysu.edu.cn;300895@hospital.cqmu.edu.cn

Abstract: Objective

·To investigate the effects of various wheel-running exercise intensity on activation of protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PKB/mTOR, AKT/mTOR) pathway in cortical neurons and nerve conduction in mice.

Methods

·Twenty four adult C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, low exercise intensity (LEI) group, moderate exercise intensity (MEI) group and high exercise intensity (HEI) group, with 6 mice in each group. The four groups of mice received pre-training for 3 days, and then received formal training (1 week) with different intensity. Motor-evoked potential (MEP) was used to detect the nerve conduction in the right upper limb of mice. The expression of AKT, ribosomal S6 protein (S6), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and brain-derived growth factor (BDNF) in the motor cortex of mice were detected by Western blotting.

Results

·MEP test showed that compared with the control group, the N1 latency period of MEP in the LEI group, MEI Group and HEI group was shorter (all P<0.05); compared with the HEI group, the N1 latency period in the LEI group was shorter (P=0.032). Meanwhile, compared with the control group, the P1 latency period of MEP in the LEI group was also shorter (P=0.015). Western blotting results showed that compared with the control group, the expression levels of p-AKT/AKT and p-S6/S6 in the motor cortex of mice in the LEI group, MEI Group and HEI group were significantly increased (all P<0.05); the expression levels of IGF1 and BDNF in the motor cortex of mice in the LEI group were higher than those in the control group (both P<0.05).

Conclusion

·Low intensity exercise training can activate AKT/mTOR pathway of cortical neurons and improve the nerve conduction speed, which may be related to the increased nerve growth factors.

Key words: exercise intensity, protein kinase B/ mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway, nerve conduction, growth factor, cortical neuron

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