Running increases cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the adult mouse dentate gyrus.

Nat Neurosci. 1999 Mar;2(3):266-70. van Praag H, Kempermann G, Gage FH. “Exposure to an enriched environment increases neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of adult rodents”. In this study the authors exposed the animals to various factors such as enriched environment, hidden-platform water maze learning, forced exercise, voluntary exercise and control housing conditions and tested their effects on adult hippocampal cell proliferation and neurogenesis. The authors injected BrdU intraperitoneally to study the proliferation of living hippocampal neurons. They found that mice that were allowed to run voluntarily had increased cell proliferation and number of newborn cells in the dendate gyrus was approximately doubled under voluntary activity and enrichment. On the other hand, mice that were trained in water maze or swim control does not show neurogenesis in adult hippocampal neurons. This study suggests that voluntary running enhances cell proliferation, survival and differentiation in adult hippocampal neurons.-Madhan