The influence of age on the treadmill exercise-induced c-Fos expression in the hippocampus of rats

Abstract

c-Fos has been used as a neuronal activity marker. Here, we examined the influence of age on the treadmill running-induced c-Fos expression in rat hippocampus. Rats of exercise groups were forced to run on treadmill for 30 min once a day for 5 consecutive days. Without exercise, c-Fos expression was highest in 8-week old rats. Treadmill exercise significantly enhanced the c-Fos expression in the hippocampus of rats in all ages. In the CA region, the increase of the c-Fos expression by treadmill exercise was highest in 4-week old rats. In the dentate gyrus, the increase of the c-Fos expression by treadmill exercise was highest in 62-week old rats. The data show that age is an important factor for the regulation of the c-Fos expression in the hippocampus and that the ability of the treadmill exercise enhancing the c-Fos expression is dependent on age status.