Effects of Exercise on Learning-memory of Space in Aged Rats after Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion

Objective To study the effects and mechanism of exercise on learning-memory of space and in aged rats after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion.Methods 20 SD rats at the age of 20 months with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion were randomly divided into 2 groups.The experimental group(n=10) received regularly exercise,while the control group(n=10) exercised freely.Morris water maze was tested 1 week after exercise,and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) mRNA expression on the ischemic side of the hippocampus were detected.Results The latency in the 2nd round decreased(P0.05) and the path line on the platform increased(P0.05) in the experimental group in Morris water maze test(P0.05),while the BDNF mRNA increased(P0.01),compared with control group.Conclusion Regular exercise can improve space learning-memory ability of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion aged rats,which may associate with increased BDNF mRNA expression in hippocampus.