Treadmill Exercise Promotes Neurogenesis in Ischemic Rat Brains via Caveolin-1/VEGF Signaling Pathways.

Using a model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), we have previously demonstrated that treadmill exercise promotes angiogenesis in the ischemic penumbra through caveolin-1/VEGF signaling pathways. However, the function of caveolin-1/VEGF signaling in neurogenesis after MCAO has not been determined. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of treadmill exercise to promote neurogenesis after MCAO and whether caveolin-1/VEGF signaling pathways are involved.

Treadmill exercise promotes angiogenesis in the ischemic penumbra of rat brains through caveolin-1/VEGF signaling pathways.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of caveolin-1 in treadmill-exercise-induced angiogenesis in the ischemic penumbra of rat brains, and whether caveolin-1 changes correlated with reduced brain injury induced by treadmill exercise, in rats after cerebral ischemia. Rats were randomized into five groups: sham-operated (S, n=7), model (M, n=36), exercise and model (EM, n=36), inhibitor and model (IM, n=36), and inhibitor, exercise, and model (IEM, n=36). Rats in the model groups underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).