Treadmill exercise increases cell proliferation in hippocampal dentate gyrus in alcohol-intoxicated rats.

AIM: Effect of treadmill exercise on hippocampal cell proliferation under normal conditions has been well documented; however, this effect under alcohol intoxication conditions is not clarified, yet. In the present study, the effect of treadmill exercise on cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus in alcohol-intoxicated rats was investigated. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: comparative investigation on number of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells in the dentate gyrus 8 days after commencement. SETTING: animal laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: male Sprague-Dawley rats of 5 weeks in age weighing 150+/-10 g. INTERVENTION: animals were divided into 4 groups: the control-rest group, the control-exercise group, the alcohol-treated-rest group, and the alcohol-treated-exercise group. Animals of the alcohol-treated groups were injected intraperitoneally with alcohol (2 g/kg) once a day for 3 days. All animals were injected BrdU (50 mg/kg) intraperitoneally, and rats of exercise groups were made to run on treadmill for 30 min each day for 5 days following alcohol administration. MEASURES: mean number of BrdU-positive cells in dentate gyrus was observed via immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Treadmill exercise significantly increased the number of BrdU-positive cells in the dentate gyrus. Also, treatment with alcohol for 3 days inhibited cell proliferation and treadmill exercise alleviated alcohol-induced inhibition of new cell formation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest the possibility that treadmill exercise may help in improvement following alcohol-induced brain damage.