Blood cells are the missing link in post exercise stimulation

A discovery on how exercise improves brain function could be exploited for research on aging and the improvement of learning and memory.

An international team from the University of Queensland and Dresden University of Technology has identified what triggers the strengthening of brain function through exercise.

Tara Walker, Queensland Brain Institute of UQ, said the improvements were related to blood cells.

"When we exercise, the hippocampal stem cells, a region of the brain that plays an important role in learning and memory, divide and transform into new neurons, which which leads to improved memory, "said Dr. Walker.

"What was not clear was how stem cells started to divide and form neurons after exercise – in other words, how does running change our brain? ? "

"When we are exercising, it is likely that our blood composition also changes, so we decided to study the blood to see what post-exercise changes could influence neural stem cells and get them to form new neurons. "

To test this theory, the researchers analyzed mouse blood after their run and compared it to control mice without wheels.

Dr. Odette Leiter, of QBI, said the team found that many of the changes in the blood after exercise were related to platelets, small cells in our blood.

"We found that platelets lead to the multiplication of neural stem cells and their transformation into neurons, as opposed to other types of cells that they also have the potential to form," she said. .

"Platelets are primarily known for their role in healing wounds – they cause blood clotting and skin cell adhesion – but we found that the activated response in platelets after stroke was different.

"It's exciting, because platelets are much more complex than expected, with the ability to release different molecules depending on the stimulus that triggered them."

Dr. Walker said this discovery raised new research questions and opportunities, particularly in the area of ​​aging.

"The growth of new neurons decreases significantly with age, resulting in a cognitive decline of certain types of learning and memory," she said.

"Our next step is to determine if we can exploit the positive effect of platelets to stimulate neuronal development and enhance learning and memory in mice and humans.

The search was published in Stem Cell Reports a lot of the work taking place in Dresden.

Provided by
University of Queensland