[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

exaggerated when opioid receptor function is disrupted and thus may lead to the reduction in
functional recovery following SCI that we have observed in our TKO mice.
Disclosures: T.P. Cominski , None; M. Hsu, None; M. Ansonoff, None; J. Pintar, None.
Poster
229. Neuronal and Glial Proliferation III
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 229.8/A8
Topic: A.02.a. Proliferation
Support: NIAAA09838
Title: Voluntary exercise and hippocampal neurogenesis: Effect of daily running duration and
housing environment
Authors: *J. L. HELFER, C. J. ROCHA, A. Y. KLINTSOVA;
Psychology, Univ. Delaware, Newark, DE
Abstract: Cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the rodent hippocampus is affected by
numerous factors, including voluntary exercise. Wheel-running increases cell proliferation and
adult neurogenesis as well as the survival of the newly generated cells and neurons in the
hippocampal dentate gyrus, while improving performance on learning and memory tasks (Adlard
et al. 2004, Vaynman et al. 2004). It has been demonstrated that twenty-four hour voluntary
wheel running (24WR) in social housing conditions increases neurogenesis and cell proliferation
in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) of adolescent and adult rat (Stranahan et al., 2006; Helfer
et al., in preparation). However, it is debated if mere exercise (wheel running), when done in
isolation, is sufficient to increase cell proliferation and neurogenesis (Stranahan et al., 2006). The
present study examined the effects of three voluntary exercise designs on cell proliferation and
adult neurogenesis. The first design entailed two conditions: voluntary wheel running (24
hours/day access, single housing) or inactive control (IC, single housing) from PD30-42.
Animals were injected with BrdU (50mg/kg) every day during PD32-42 and perfused on PD42.
The second design also had two conditions: voluntary wheel running (12 hour/day, three per
cage) and IC (3 per cage) during PD30-50. The third wheel running paradigm included a
voluntary wheel running condition (12 hour/day, single housed) and IC (single housed) during
PD30-50. In the last two studies animals were injected with BrdU (50mg/kg) every other day
during PD30-50 and perfused on PD50. Immunocytochemistry was used to localize cells
containing BrdU and NeuN. BrdU positive cell counts were attained from the DG and confocal
images were used to assess the colocalization of BrdU and NeuN. Within these three designs,