Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Curr Med Chem. 2009;16(35):4668-78. doi: 10.2174/092986709789878292.
Coordinated and constructive physical activity is correlated with the maintenance of cognitive function in humans. Voluntary running also enhances neuroplasticity in adult and aging rodents, but the molecular pathways underlying these effects are still being elucidated. Considering the multifactorial nature of the biochemical links between physical activity and neurophysiology it is likely that there are many pharmacological mechanisms by which the beneficial actions of exercise can be effectively reproduced using chemical agents. Most studies to date have focused on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as a signaling target for the enhancement of neuronal function by exercise. The goal of the current review is to move beyond BDNF by exploring the diversity of molecular pathways regulated by physical activity in a variety of situations. We will discuss the availability and mechanism of action for several diverse physical activity pharmacomimetics. As physical activity enhances both neuroplasticity and cognition, understanding the molecular targets for these effects may lead to the development of protent new therapeutic interventions for age-related neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
协调和建设性的身体活动与人类认知功能的维持有关。自愿跑步也能增强成年和老年啮齿动物的神经可塑性，但这些影响的分子途径仍在阐明之中。考虑到身体活动和神经生理学之间生化联系的多因素性质，很可能有许多药理机制可以通过化学剂有效地再现运动的有益作用。迄今为止，大多数研究都集中在脑源性神经营养因子 (BDNF) 上，将其作为运动增强神经元功能的信号靶点。目前综述的目的是通过在各种情况下探索受身体活动调节的分子途径的多样性，超越 BDNF。我们将讨论几种不同的身体活动拟似药的可用性和作用机制。由于身体活动既能增强神经可塑性，又能增强认知能力，了解这些作用的分子靶点可能会为治疗与年龄相关的神经退行性疾病（如阿尔茨海默病）开发出有前途的新的治疗干预措施。
