Exercise preconditioning reduces neuronal apoptosis in stroke by up-regulating heat shock protein-70 (heat shock protein-72) and extracellular-signal-regulated-kinase 1/2

Exercise preconditioning induces neuroprotection after stroke. We investigated the beneficial role of heat shock protein-70 (HSP-70) and phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated-kinase 1/2 (pERK 1/2), as they pertain to reducing apoptosis and their influence on Bcl-xL, Bax, and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in rats subjected to ischemia and reperfusion. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to 30 min of exercise on a treadmill for 1, 2, or 3 weeks. Stroke was induced by a 2-h middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion using an intraluminal filament. Protein levels of HSP-70, pERK 1/2, Bcl-xL, Bax, and AIF were analyzed using Western blot. Neuroprotection was based on levels of apoptosis (TUNEL) and infarct volume (Nissl staining). Immunocytochemistry was used for cellular expression of HSP-70 and pERK 1/2. Significant (P<0.05) up-regulation of HSP-70 and pERK 1/2 after 3 weeks of exercise coincided with significant (P<0.05) reduction in neuronal apoptosis and brain infarct volume. Inhibition of either one of these two factors showed a significant (P<0.05) reversal in the neuroprotection. Bax and AIF were down-regulated, while levels of Bcl-xL were up-regulated in response to stroke after exercise. Inhibiting HSP-70 or pERK 1/2 reversed this resultant increase or decrease. Our results indicate that exercise diminishes neuronal injury in stroke by up-regulating HSP-70 and ERK 1/2.