Exercise Training Enhances Expression of Tropomedulin-2 and ADP-Ribosylation Factor 6 in the Cerebellum of Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Background: It has been well documented that exercise training (ET) induces beneficial effects on the central nervous system (CNS); however, the underlying mechanisms are less known. We presumed that actin cytoskeleton regulatory proteins such as ADP-ribosylation factors 6 (ARF6) and tropomodulin 2 (TMOD2) may be important elements of Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity (EIN). We evaluated this hypothesis in the present study. Methods: We randomly divided 12 male Wistar rats into control (C) and training (T) groups. The T group was exposed to six weeks of moderate-intensity treadmill running. The ARF6 and TMOD2 gene and protein expressions in the cerebellum of male Wistar rats were assessed by the real-time PCR and western blot analysis. Results: The results showed that TMOD2 and ARF6 gene and protein expressions were significantly higher in the T group than in the C group. Conclusions: It seems that chronic treadmill running increases TMOD2 and ARF6 gene and protein expressions in the cerebellum and these changes probably lead to the improvement of brain function.