, 2010); therefore, it

is important to discuss the exercise protocol used in this study for comparative purposes. Since rodents normally exhibit intense physical activity during the dark (active) period (Holmes et al., 2004), we conducted our exercise training during their active cycle. In order to minimize stress, our protocol started with an adaptation period allowing the animals to become familiarized to the treadmill, and we used a moderate intensity protocol (Ferreira et al., 2010). Treadmill exercise is a key component of many neurological rehabilitation programs (Holschneider et al., 2007). However, it is considered to be a forced type of exercise (Arida et al., 2004). In fact, when submitted to stressful treadmill exercise protocols, rats show activation of the amygdala

(Vissing Proteasomal inhibitor et al., 1996), although, rats exercised on running wheels may also display increased anxiety-like behaviors (Grace et al., 2009). Whereas high-intensity exercise protocols may increase corticosterone levels, which inhibit the beneficial effects of BDNF (Cosi et al., 1993) and neurogenesis (Gould et al., 1992), basal levels of glucocorticoids are necessary to maintain neurogenesis (Sloviter et al., 1993). We have measured corticosterone levels from our animals and found them to be increased only at EX3 and EX7, in agreement with earlier data (Tharp and Buuck, 1974). Another factor that should be taken into consideration is the novelty of the exercise experience during the first find more PFKL few days. Therefore, the changes discussed here may be at least in part the result of environmental stimuli and not only of the exercise protocol, which might account for some of the differential changes that occurred at different time points. The neurotrophin BDNF has been shown to increase synaptogenesis (Mattson, 2008) and neurogenesis (Lee and Son, 2009 and Zigova et al., 1998), to modulate synaptic plasticity in the adult brain (Vaynman et al., 2003 and Vaynman et al., 2004), change the morphology of cells and dendrites (Tolwani et al., 2002), and to modify synaptic function in the hippocampus by

modulating the efficacy of neurotransmitter release (Kang and Schuman, 1995). Even though BDNF is widely reported to be increased after various exercise protocols (Ding et al., 2006, Griesbach et al., 2004, Kim et al., 2010, Vaynman et al., 2003 and Vaynman et al., 2004), we did not observe any changes of BDNF protein and mRNA levels after the exercise protocol used here. This suggests that the changes observed for the synaptic and structural proteins, some of which are regulated by BDNF, might be regulated in the present conditions by neurotrophic factors other than BDNF. As mentioned earlier, FGF-2 also increases after exercise and may be critical to mediate exercise-induced changes in the brain (Gomez-Pinilla et al., 1997).