Diet, exercise, neurogenesis and cognition (1025.4)

Abstract

Aging is associated with a decline in cognition in humans and rodents. Recently, these changes have been linked with decreased hippocampal neurogenesis. Physical exercise increases neurogenesis and reverses some of the cognitive deficits in elderly subjects, but the extent to which dietary supplementation may interact with physical exercise is unknown. Green tea contains high levels of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that reduces age‐related cognitive decline. Similarly, β‐alanine (β‐Ala) may be beneficial against cognitive aging. We tested the hypothesis that exercise (voluntary wheel running) and dietary supplementation with EGCG (1.5mg/g) and β‐Ala (3.4 mg/g) would interact to improve cognition of aged mice. Balb/c mice (17 mo) served as sedentary controls or were provided access to running wheels for 4 weeks with or without EGCG + β‐Ala. The Morris water maze (MWM) and contextual fear conditioning (CFC) were used to assess learning and memory. Hippocampal neurogenesis was assessed by labeling new neurons with BrdU. Exercise improved cognition with increased platform crossings in the MWM and increased time spent frozen during CFC. Exercise also increased BDNF expression and diminished microglial activation in the hippocampus. Dietary supplementation did not affect any measurement. Collectively, these data verify that exercise has positive effects on neurogenesis and cognition of aged mice. Grant Funding Source: Supported by a grant from Abbott Nutrition to JAW