Maternal Voluntary Exercise during Pregnancy Enhances the Spatial Learning Acquisition but not the Retention of Memory in Rat Pups via a TrkB-mediated Mechanism: The Role of Hippocampal BDNF Expression.

Objective(s): The effect of maternal voluntary exercise on hippocampal BDNF level in rat offspring was studied. In addition, the possible role of hippocampal BDNF receptors in maternal exercise induced enhancement of learning in the rat pups was investigated.

Materials And Methods: Pregnant rats have been randomly assigned to sedentary control or voluntary exercise groups.

Prenatal exposure to maternal voluntary exercise during pregnancy provides protection against mild chronic postnatal hypoxia in rat offspring.

Postnatal hypoxia is a main cause of neuronal damage in newborn. However, our understanding of the possible preventive or therapeutic methods to reduce the harmful effects of hypoxia is still primary. Pregnant rats were provided with running wheels during their pregnancy.

Hippocampal angiotensin II receptors play an important role in mediating the effect of voluntary exercise on learning and memory in rat.

The beneficial effects of physical activity and exercise on brain functions such as improvement in learning and memory are well documented. The aim of this study was to examine the possible role of hippocampal angiotensin II receptors in voluntary exercise-induced enhancement of learning and memory in rat. In order to block the hippocampal angiotension II receptors, the animals received a single injection of latex microbeads for delivery of [Sar1 Thr8]-Angiotensin II into the hippocampus.