Gender-Specific Neuroimmunoendocrine Response to Treadmill Exercise in 3xTg-AD Mice

Abstract EN

The 3xTg-AD mouse develops a progressive Alzheimer's disease- (AD-) like brain pathology that causes cognitive- and neuropsychiatric-like symptoms of dementia.

Since its neuroimmunoendocrine axis is likewise impaired, this mouse is also useful for modelling complex age-related neurodegeneration.

This study analyzed behavioral, physiological, neurochemical, pathological and immunoendocrine alterations in male and female 3xTg-AD mice and assayed the effects of a short therapy of forced physical exercise at the moderate pathology stage of 6 months of age.

Gender effects were observed in most AD-related pathology and dysfunctions.

Five weeks of treadmill training produced beneficial effects, such as the reduction of brain oxidative stress and GABA-A receptor dysfunction in males and improvement of sensorimotor function in females.

In both sexes, exercise decreased the brain amyloid β 42/40 ratio levels.

The results highlight the importance of analyzing experimental therapies in both mouse model genders in order to improve our understanding of the disease and develop more appropriate therapies.