Hippocampal gene expression patterns linked to late-life physical activity oppose age and AD-related transcriptional decline

Abstract

Exercise has emerged as a powerful variable that can improve cognitive function and delay ageassociated cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD), however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. To determine if protective mechanisms may occur at the transcriptional level, we used microarrays to investigate the relationship between physical activity levels and gene expression patterns in the cognitively-intact aged human hippocampus. In parallel, hippocampal gene expression patterns associated with Aging and AD were assessed using publicly available microarray data profiling hippocampus from young (20-59 yrs), cognitively-intact aging (73-95 yrs) and age-matched AD cases. To identify "anti-Aging/AD" transcription patterns associated with physical activity, probesets significantly associated with both physical activity and Aging/AD were identified and their directions of expression change in each condition were compared. Remarkably, of the 2210 probesets significant in both datasets, nearly 95% showed opposite transcription patterns with physical activity compared to Aging/AD. The majority (>70%) of these anti-Aging/AD genes showed increased expression with physical activity and decreased expression in Aging/AD. Enrichment analysis of the anti-Aging/AD genes showing increased

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