Running would trigger the production of a molecule that repairs brain tissue and prolongs life after brain injury, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Cell Report. These conclusions were obtained on mice and will allow new research to be set up to discover innovative treatments to treat certain neurodegenerative disorders, like the multiple sclerosis.
Researchers at the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa in Canada carried out a study with genetically modified mice whose cerebellum had been reduced in size. As a result, these guinea pigs had a reduced life expectancy (between 25 and 40 days) and difficulty moving.
Running increases the lifespan of mice
Scientists compared the brains of rodents that ran and those that remained sedentary. They observed that active mice lived longer, their balance improved, and neurons in the cerebellum of exercised mice showed increased myelin. Myelin is a white, lipid-based substance that coats most of the nerve fibers. It acts similarly to the electrical insulation of cables. Without it, the nerves cannot carry their messages as quickly or efficiently.
“We have seen that the existing neurons have become better isolated and more stable. This means that unhealthy neurons functioned better and previously damaged circuits in the brain became more functional, ”says lead author Dr. Matías Alvarez-Saavedra. But, as soon as the physical activity was stopped, this process was interrupted.
The nerve growth factors (VGF) produced during exercise, would be at the origin of this phenomenon.
“What is clear is that VGFs are important in restarting healing in damaged areas of the brain. We need to do more research to see if this molecule may also be useful in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases, ”explains Dr. Picketts, senior author of the paper and principal investigator at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa.
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