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Kang, Seong, Jin, Park, Lee, Jeon, and Kim: The Effect of Treadmill Exercise on Ischemic Neuronal Injury in the Stroke Animal Model: Potentiation of Cerebral Vascular Integrity
Original Article
Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing

Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing 2011; 41(2): 197-203.

Published online: 30 April 2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2011.41.2.197

The Effect of Treadmill Exercise on Ischemic Neuronal Injury in the Stroke Animal Model: Potentiation of Cerebral Vascular Integrity

Kyoung Ah Kang1, Hohyun Seong2, Han-Byeol Jin2, Jongmin Park3, Jongmin Lee4, Jae-Yong Jeon5, Youn Jung Kim6

1Full-time Lecturer, Department of Nursing, Mokpo Catholic University, Mokpo, Korea.

2Undergraduated Student, College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.

3Graduated Student, College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.

4Professor, Department of Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea.

5Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

6Professor, College of Nursing Science, East West Nursing Institute, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Kim, Youn Jung. College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Korea. Tel : +82-2-961-0311, Fax : +82-2-961-9398, yj129@khu.ac.kr

Received 26 June 2010       Accepted 15 April 2011

© 2011 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Abstract

Purpose

This study was done to identify whether pre-conditioning exercise has neuroprotective effects against cerebral ischemia, through enhance brain microvascular integrity.

Methods

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: 1) Normal (n=10); 2) Exercise (n=10); 3) Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo), n=10); 4) Exercise+MCAo (n=10). Both exercise groups ran on a treadmill at a speed of 15 m/min, 30 min/day for 4 weeks, then, MCAo was performed for 90 min. Brain infarction was measured by Nissl staining. Examination of the remaining neuronal cell after MCAo, and microvascular protein expression on the motor cortex, showed the expression of Neuronal Nuclei (NeuN), Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) & laminin.

Results

After 48 hr of MCAo, the infarct volume was significantly reduced in the Ex+MCAo group (15.6±2.7%) compared to the MCAo group (44.9±3.8%) (p<.05), and many neuronal cells were detected in the Ex+MCAo group (70.8±3.9%) compared to the MCAo group (43.4±5.1%) (p<.05). The immunoreactivity of laminin, as a marker of microvessels and Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were intensively increased in the Ex+MCAo group compared to the MCAo group.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that the neuroprotective effects of exercise pre-conditioning reduce ischemic brain injury through strengthening the microvascular integrity after cerebral ischemia.

Keywords: Exercise, Brain ischemia, Evidence-based nursing

Figures and Tables

Figure 1
The effect of pre-conditioning exercise on the infarct volume induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in the motor cortex was measured by Nissl staining. Infarct volume was reduced in Ex+MCAo group compared to MCAo group. Values are mean±SE (*p<.05 vs MCAo). MCAo=middle cerebral artery occlusion; Ex=exercise.
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Figure 2
(A) Photographs of NeuN immunoreactivity in the motor cortex. There are many NeuN-positive cells in Normal (a) and Ex. group (b), compared to MCAo group (c). However, in Ex+MCAo group, (d) NeuN-positive cells were increased compared to MCAo group (scale bar, 100 µm). (B) Exercise significantly increased NeuN-positive cells in the mortor cortex. Values are mean±SE (#p<.05 vs Normal, *p<.05 vs MCAo). MCAo=middle cerebral artery occlusion; Ex=exercise; NeuN=neuronal nuclei.
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Figure 3
The immunoreactivity of laminin in motor cortex. In normal (A) and Ex. group (B), micro vessels were intensively marked by laminin, and very little immunoreactivity of laminin was marked in MCAo group (C). However, in Ex+MCAo group (D), laminin expression was increas-ed compared to MCAo group (scale bar, 100 µm), MCAo=middle cerebral artery occlusion; Ex=exercise.
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Figure 4
Intensively VEGF immunoreactivity was shown in MCAo group (C) In Ex+MCAo group (D), little VEGF expression was observed, however, there was no VEGF immunoreactivity in either normal (A) or Ex. group (B) (scale bar, 100 µm). MCAo=middle cerebral artery occlusion; Ex=exercise; VEGF=vas-cular endothelial growth factor.
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Table 1
The Measurement of Infarction Volume
jkan-41-197-i001

p<.001.

MCAo=middle cerebral artery occlusion; Ex=exercise.

Table 2
Neuronal Cell Count in Motor Cortex
jkan-41-197-i002

p<.001.

MCAo=middle cerebral artery occlusion; Ex=exercise; NeuN=neuronal nuclei.

Notes

This study was supported by Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by Korean Government (MOEHRD) (KRF-2007-313-E00393).

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