J Korean Med Sci.  2010 Nov;25(11):1638-1645. 10.3346/jkms.2010.25.11.1638.

Early Motor Balance and Coordination Training Increased Synaptophysin in Subcortical Regions of the Ischemic Rat Brain

• Seo HG
• Kim DY
• Park HW
• Lee SU
• Park SH

• KMID: 1779235
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2010.25.11.1638

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of early motor balance and coordination training on functional recovery and brain plasticity in an ischemic rat stroke model, compared with simple locomotor exercise. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with cortical infarcts were trained under one of four conditions: nontrained control, treadmill training, motor training on the Rota-rod, or both Rota-rod and treadmill training. All types of training were performed from post-operation day 1 to 14. Neurological and behavioral performance was evaluated by Menzies' scale, the prehensile test, and the limb placement test, at post-operation day 1, 7, and 14. Both Rota-rod and treadmill training increased the expression of synaptophysin in subcortical regions of the ischemic hemisphere including the hippocampus, dentate gyrus, and thalamus, but did not affect levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor or tyrosin kinase receptor B. The Rota-rod training also improved Menzies' scale and limb placement test scores, whereas the simple treadmill training did neither. The control group showed significant change only in Menzies' scale score. This study suggests that early motor balance and coordination training may induce plastic changes in subcortical regions of the ischemic hemisphere after stroke accompanied with the recovery of sensorimotor performance.

Keyword

Stroke; Motor Skills; Neuronal Plasticity; Synaptophysin

MeSH Terms

Animals
Brain Ischemia/metabolism/physiopathology
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism
Dentate Gyrus/metabolism
Disease Models, Animal
Hippocampus/metabolism
Immunohistochemistry
Male
Motor Activity
Neuronal Plasticity/physiology
Physical Conditioning, Animal
Physical Therapy Modalities
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptor, trkB/metabolism
Stroke/*metabolism/physiopathology
Synaptophysin/*metabolism
Thalamus/metabolism
Time Factors

Figure

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  Fig. 1 A photograph of Rota-rod training by the rats. The rats were placed on the Rota-rod cylinder which rotated at a speed of 35 rpm. If they fell, they were placed on the rod again.

• 

  Fig. 2 Neurological and behavioral test scores. (A) There is no significant difference in prehensile time. (B) The Rota-rod and control groups show significant difference over time in Menzies' sclae. (C) The Rota-rod and Rota-rod with treadmill groups show significant difference over time in limb placement test score. *P<0.05 by Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed ranks test.

• 

  Fig. 3 Western blot analysis. (A) Relative levels of BDNF in entire cerebral hemispheres show no significant between-group difference. A sample blot is shown; mature BDNF (about 14 kDa in size) is seen. (B) Relative levels of synaptophysin in entire cerebral hemispheres show no significant difference between groups. A sample blot is shown; synaptophysin (about 38 kDa in size) is noted.

• 

  Fig. 4 Immunohistochemical analysis. The RODs of BDNF, TrkB, and synaptophysin in each brain region are represented as percentages of each contralateral brain region of the control group. There is no significant between-group difference in the expression of (A) BDNF, or (B) TrkB by one-way ANOVA. (C) Significant differences in synaptophysin immunoreactivity are detected in the treadmill and the Rota-rod training groups as compared with the control group. Hippo, hippocampus; Den, dentate gyrus; Thal, thalamus. *P<0.05, †P<0.01 vs no exercise control group (one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test); ‡P<0.05 vs contralateral brain regions (paired t-test).

• 

  Fig. 5 Synaptophysin expression by immunohistochemical staining. High-power views (×400) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus (A-D, I, J) and thalamus (E-H) show synaptophysin immunoreactivity in brown color. No definite differences are observed in the granule cell layer and subgranular zone of the contralateral hemisphere between the no exercise control (A) and Rota-rod training (B) groups. In the ischemic hemisphere, synaptophysin expression increases in the Rota-rod training group (D) compared to the control group (C). Synaptophysin immunoreactivity is higher in the thalamus of the Rota-rod training group (F, H) than in that of the control group (E, G), in particular, in the ischemic hemisphere (H). The images of the dentate hilus of the Rota-rod group (I, J) also show synaptophysin expression, particularly in the ischemic side (J).

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