BDNF induction with mild exercise in the rat hippocampus.

Although chronic voluntary physical activity has been shown to enhance hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in animals, the effects of forced exercise on a treadmill have not been fully investigated. We assessed induction of c-fos and BDNF expression with acute exercise at different running intensities. The mRNA for c-fos, a marker for neuronal activation, was up-regulated even under low-intensity running (15 m/min), although its induction appeared to be intensity dependent.