Protective effects of exercise on the myelin sheath, glial cells, and cognitive decline in naturally aging rats

SHEN Chunxiu

doi:10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2026.03.001

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Acta Anatomica Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (3) : 271-279. DOI: 10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2026.03.001

Neurbiology

Protective effects of exercise on the myelin sheath, glial cells, and cognitive decline in naturally aging rats

WANG Xin WANG Qi ZHANG Zhan-bai-ling LIAO Jing-wen ZUO Bai-rui * MU Lian-wei*

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Abstract

Objective To investigate the protective effects of aerobic exercise on the myelin sheath, glial cells, and cognitive decline in naturally aging female rats. Methods Three-month-old and 16-month-old rats were selected as the young control group (YC, n=6) and the old control group (OC, n=6), respectively. The old exercise group (OE, n=6) underwent an exercise intervention from 3 to 16 months of age. The novel object recognition test and the Y-maze were used to assess the learning and memory abilities of rats. Immunofluorescent staining measured the levels of myelin sheath and oligodendrocytes(OGD) in the brain tissue of each group, as well as the activation status of microglia(MG) and astrocytes(AS). Western blotting was employed to detect the expression level of the myelin basic protein(MBP) protein. Results Naturally aging rats exhibited significant impairments in learning and memory, which could be effectively ameliorated through exercise intervention. The myelin sheath levels in the hippocampal CA3 region and corpus callosum, the MBP levels in the CA3 of aged control rats were significantly lower than those in the young control rats. In contrast, the activation levels of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampal CA1, CA3, and prefrontal cortex were significantly higher than those in the young controls. Exercise intervention effectively increased myelin levels in the CA3 region of the hippocampus and the corpus callosum, the MBP levels in the CA3 of aged rats, while reducing the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the CA1, CA3, and prefrontal cortex regions of the hippocampus. However, there were no significant differences in oligodendrocyte levels among the young control, old control, and old exercise groups. Conclusion Exercise intervention can effectively reduce myelin loss and decrease the activation of microglia and astrocytes. This may be one of the mechanisms by which aerobic exercise improves learning and memory impairments in naturally aging rats.

Key words

Exercise∣ / Aging∣ / Myelin sheath∣ / Oligodendrocyte∣ / Microglia∣Astrocyte∣ / Novel object recognition test∣ / Rat

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WANG Xin, WANG Qi, ZHANG Zhan-bai-ling, LIAO Jing-wen, ZUO Bai-rui, MU Lian-wei. Protective effects of exercise on the myelin sheath, glial cells, and cognitive decline in naturally aging rats[J]. Acta Anatomica Sinica. 2026, 57(3): 271-279 https://doi.org/10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2026.03.001

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