Cited by 134Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and TreatmentsNeurological disorders and treatmentsNuclear Receptors and Signaling

Restorative effect of endurance exercise on behavioral deficits in the chronic mouse model of Parkinson's disease with severe neurodegeneration

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Pothakos, Konstantinos, Kurz, Max J, Lau, Yuen-Sum·2009·BMC Neuroscience

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Animal models of Parkinson's disease have been widely used for investigating the mechanisms of neurodegenerative process and for discovering alternative strategies for treating the disease. Following 10 injections with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP, 25 mg/kg) and probenecid (250 mg/kg) over 5 weeks in mice, we have established and characterized a chronic mouse model of Parkinson's disease (MPD), which displays severe long-term neurological and pathological defects resembling that of the human Parkinson's disease in the advanced stage. The behavioral manifestations in this chronic mouse model of Parkinson's syndrome remain uninvestigated. The health benefit of exercise in aging and in neurodegenerative disorders including the Parkinson's disease has been implicated; however, clinical and laboratory studies in this area are limited. In this research with the chronic MPD, we first conducted a series of behavioral tests and then investigated the impact of endurance exercise on the identified Parkinsonian behavioral deficits. RESULTS: We report here that the severe chronic MPD mice showed significant deficits in their gait pattern consistency and in learning the cued version of the Morris water maze. Their performances on the challenging beam and walking grid were considerably attenuated suggesting the lack of balance and motor coordination. Furthermore, their spontaneous and amphetamine-stimulated locomotor activities in the open field were significantly suppressed. The behavioral deficits in the chronic MPD lasted for at least 8 weeks after MPTP/probenecid treatment. When the chronic MPD mice were exercise-trained on a motorized treadmill 1 week before, 5 weeks during, and 8-12 weeks after MPTP/probenecid treatment, the behavioral deficits in gait pattern, spontaneous ambulatory movement, and balance performance were reversed; whereas neuronal loss and impairment in cognitive skill, motor coordination, and amphetamine-stimulated locomotor activity were not altered when compared to the sedentary chronic MPD animals. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that in spite of the drastic loss of dopaminergic neurons and depletion of dopamine in the severe chronic MPD, endurance exercise training effectively reverses the Parkinson's like behavioral deficits related to regular movement, balance and gait performance.

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  • In these toxin models, neuroprotection has been principally attributed to an exercise-induced increase of neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor or glial-derived neurotrophic factor.

    “In these toxin models, neuroprotection has been principally attributed to an exercise-induced increase of neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) 78–81.”

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Authors
Pothakos, K., Kurz, M. J., & Lau, Y.-S.
Affiliations
University of Houston (US)
Corresponding author
Lau, Yuen-Sum
Venue
BMC Neuroscience
Published
2009-01-20
Volume
10
Issue
1
Pages
6-6
ISSN
1471-2202 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1968954752
Cited by
134
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 10
FWCI
9.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • BMC Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS47920, R01NS047920)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Neurological disorders and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Nuclear Receptors and Signaling
Keywords
Parkinson's disease, endurance exercise, exercise training, behavioral deficits, gait, balance, motor coordination, locomotor activity, dopaminergic neuron loss, dopamine depletion, cognitive impairment, neurodegeneration
MeSH terms
Amphetamine, Animals, Ataxia, Disease Models, Animal, Postural Balance, Gait, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Motor Activity, Nerve Degeneration, Parkinson Disease, Physical Conditioning, Animal, Probenecid, 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, Maze Learning, MPTP Poisoning, Mice

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