Voluntary exercise induced increase in neurogenesis in the adult murine dentate gyrus is maintained in aged mice and after prolonged running

Abstract

It is already known that exposure to an enriched environment and physical activity increases neurogenesis in the subgranular zone of the adult murine dentate gyrus. However it is not known, whether this phenomenon can still be observed in aged mice or after prolonged running. We used aged C57Bl/6 female mice (one and two years old) which had free access to a running wheel (RUN) for 10 consecutive days. The control group (CON) were placed in standard cages. At the end of the running period Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 50mg/Kg) was injected i.p. and the animals were killed and perfused the next day.