Research advances on high-intensity interval training and cognitive function / 生理学报

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has proven to be a time-saving and efficient exercise strategy. Compared with traditional aerobic exercise, it can provide similar or even better health benefits. In recent years, a number of studies have suggested that HIIT could be used as a potential exercise rehabilitation therapy to improve cognitive impairment caused by obesity, diabetes, stroke, dementia and other diseases. HIIT may be superior to regular aerobic exercise. This article reviews the recent research progress on HIIT with a focus on its beneficial effect on brain cognitive function and the underlying mechanisms. HIIT may become an effective exercise for the prevention and/or improvement of brain cognitive disorder.

Aerobic exercise reduces the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins and inflammatory factors in hippocampus of mice with insulin resistance / 生理学报

The aim of the present study was to observe the expression of pyroptosis- and inflammation-related proteins in the hippocampus of mice with insulin resistance (IR) after aerobic exercise, and to explore the possible mechanism of exercise to improve IR. C57BL/6J male mice of 6 weeks old were randomly fed with normal diet (n = 12) and high-fat diet (HFD) (n = 26) for 12 weeks respectively. Glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were performed to determine whether IR occurred in HFD mice. Then the mice were randomly divided into control group (n = 12), IR group (n = 10) and IR + aerobic exercise group (AE, n = 10). Mice in AE group performed a 12-week progressive speed treadmill training after being adapted to the treadmill for one week. After the intervention, the expression of pyroptosis- and inflammation-related proteins in hippocampus was detected by Western blot. The results showed that compared with control group, NFκB, Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC), pyroptosis-related proteins like pro-Caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), GSDMD-N, and inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-18 were significantly increased. The inflammasome-related protein NIMA-related kinase 7 (NEK7) and pyroptosis-related protein Caspase-1 showed an increasing trend, but there was no significant difference. Compared with the IR group, progressive speed treadmill training significantly reduced the expression of NFκB, NLRP3, NEK7, ASC, pro-Caspase-1, GSDMD, GSDMD-N, IL-1β, and IL-18 in the hippocampus of mice with IR. These results suggested 12-week progressive speed treadmill training can significantly reduce the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins and inflammatory factors in the hippocampus of mice with IR, and inhibit pyroptosis.

Research advances on anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic biological effects of methane / 生理学报

Methane (CH) is the simplest hydrocarbons and endogenous CHhas been thought only to be generated by methanogens in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract of the mammals. However, recent animal studies have shown that endogenous CHcan also be generated from choline and its metabolites in the mammals to protect the plasma membrane from reactive oxygen species attack and repair the membrane. In addition, exogenous CHcan ameliorate the oxidative stress injury of multiple tissues and organs through its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptosis effects. This paper reviews the recent researches about CHsynthetic metabolism and biological functions, and highlights its potential of wide application in the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress related diseases and the significance for the development of gas medicine.

Effects of hypoxia conditioned medium of cerebral cortex cells on the differentiation of neural stem cells and related signal pathways / 生理学报

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hypoxia conditioned medium (HCM) of cerebral cortex cells on the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) and to clarify the signal transduction mechanism. The cerebral cortex cells from newborn SD rats were primarily cultured for 5 d, and then the cells were cultured in environments of 4% O2, 1% O2 and normal oxygen concentration, respectively, for 6 h. The culture mediums were collected and centrifuged as the HCM and normoxia conditioned medium (NCM). The neurospheres of NSCs were obtained from the rat cerebral cortex by suspending culture. Immunohistochemical staining was used after adherence culture for 48 h to identify neurons and astrocytes in the progeny of NSCs. LY294002, a PI3-K inhibitor, and SP600125, a JNK inhibitor, were added into the HCM to culture NSCs for 48 h. The results showed that NSCs in the cerebral cortex could differentiate into β-Tubulin III immunoreactive neurons and GFAP immunoreactive astrocytes in three conditioned mediums, and the neurons proportion in progeny of NSCs was higher than astrocytes in all three groups. The proportion of neurons in 4% HCM was higher than that in NCM (P < 0.01). But the proportion of neurons in 1% HCM was less than that in NCM (P < 0.01). Both LY294002 and SP600125 inhibited NSCs to differentiate into high proportion neurons induced by 4% HCM (P < 0.01), but the inhibitory effect of LY294002 was stronger than that of SP600125 (P < 0.01). In conclusion, 4% HCM can induce NSCs to differentiate into more neurons mainly through the PI3-K pathway.

Treadmill running enhances the ability of learning in young rats / 生理学报

To investigate the effect of treadmill running on the ability of learning in young rats, male Sprague-Dawley rats (5 weeks of age) were used for the experiment. Animals were randomly divided into the control and running groups (n=15 in each group). The rats in running group were made run on a motor-driven treadmill for 1 week at a speed of 2 m/min for the first 5 min, at a speed of 5 m/min for the next 5 min, then at a speed of 8 m/min for the last 20 min. Then the Morris water maze was used to observe learning and memory ability of rats in both groups. The tests consisted of place navigation and spatial probe test. We found that, in place navigation training, the latency of rats in running group was less than that in control group (P<0.05); and from the third training session on, there was significant difference between the rats in control and running groups in swimming velocity (P<0.01); furthermore, it was observed that the rats in running group had stronger motivation and more exact orientation in searching for platform, which could be indicated by the index of turn angle and angular velocity. In spatial probe test, there was no significant difference between the two groups in swimming velocity, percentage of swimming distance and frequency of crossing platform in D quadrant, where the platform situated (P>0.05). These findings suggest that low speed treadmill running can enhance the ability of learning in young rats.

Effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on differentiation of mesencephalic neural stem cells and proliferation of oligodendrocytes in the rat / 生理学报

To observe the influence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on differentiation of rat mesencephalic neural stem cells (NSCs), the numbers of neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes generated from NSCs were analyzed after differentiation for 3 days by using immunocytochemistry technique. The results show that: (1) TNF-alpha enhanced the proportions of neurons and oligodendrocytes in progeny of NSCs; and (2) TNF-alpha induced the proliferation of oligodendrocytes derived from NSCs, but the proliferation of astrocytes was not influenced by TNF-alpha. We conclude that the TNF-alpha could influence the application of NSCs.

Nongenomic action of corticosterone to calcium rise induced by high-K+ in PC12 cells / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To analyse the mechanism of corticosterone on the elevation of cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) induced by high-K+ in pheochromocytoma PC12 cells,</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The [Ca2+]i was real-time checked by fluorescence image system.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) When the cells were preincubated at 37 degrees C for 5 min in the presence of various concentration corticosterone and stimulated with 55 mmol/L KCl , an inhibitory effect of corticosterone on delta[Ca2+]i was observed in a concentration-dependent manner. (2) When PC12 cells were preincubated with various concentration of B-BSA at 37 degrees C for 5 min and stimulated with 55 mmol/L KCl, an inhibitory effect of B-BSA on delta[Ca2+]i was observed, which is also concentration-dependent manner. (3) The inhibitory effect of corticosterone and B-BSA could not be antagonized by RU38486 at 10(-4) mol/L. (4) cycloheximide could not block the inhibitory effect of corticosterone after pretreating cells at 10(-5) mol/L at 37 degrees C for 3 hours.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is obvious that the locus of corticosterone action is on the plasmic membrane. The inhibitory effect of corticosterone is independent of protein synthesis and intracellular glucocorticoid receptor. The effect of corticosterone on [Ca2+]i is nongenomic action in PC12 cells.</p>