Physical activity and antidepressant treatment potentiate the expression of specific brain-derived neurotrophic factor transcripts in the rat hippocampus

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, the most abundant of the neurotrophins i n the brain, enhances the growth and maintenance of several neuronal system s, serves as a neurotransmitter modulator, and participates in use-dependen t plasticity mechanisms such as long-term potentiation and learning. In rec ent years, evidence has been gathering that brain-derived neurotrophic fact or may have an important role in the neuropathology and treatment of depres sion. It has recently been reported that chronic (at least two weeks) antid epressant treatment leads to an up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor messenger RNA levels in the hippocampus, an important brain area fo r behavioral regulation, as well as learning and memory. Our laboratory has previously shown that general physical exercise very rapidly increases bra in-derived neurotrophic factor messenger RNA in this brain area. In this re port, we have tested the hypothesis that the combination of these two inter ventions, general physical activity and antidepressant treatment, leads to increased levels of specific promoter-derived transcripts of brain-derived neurotrophic factor messenger RNA in a manner that appears to be both addit ive and accelerated. Our results suggest that these two very different inte rventions may possibly converge at the cellular level. The induction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression by activity/p harmacological treatment combinations could represent an important interven tion for further study, to potentially improve depression treatment and man agement. (C) 2000 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.