Brief Communication Endurance factors improve hippocampal neurogenesis and spatial memory in mice

Physical activity improves learning and hippocampal neurogenesis. It is unknown whether compounds that increase endur-ance in muscle also enhance cognition. We investigated the effects of endurance factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor d agonist GW501516 and AICAR, activator of AMP-activated protein kinase on memory and neurogenesis. Mice were injected with GW for 7 d or AICAR for 7 or 14 d. Two weeks thereafter mice were tested in the Morris water maze. AICAR (7 d) and GW improved spatial memory. Moreover, AICAR significantly, and GW modestly, elevated dentate gyrus neurogenesis. Thus, pharmacological activation of skeletal muscle may mediate cognitive effects. Physical activity has many benefits for brain function ranging from memory to mood (Hillman et al. 2008). There is a strong positive correlation between running and performance in hippocampus-dependent spatial memory tasks (van Praag 2008). Research into mechanisms underlying effects of running on the brain has mainly focused on changes in neurotransmitters, neuro-trophins, spine density, and hippocampal neurogenesis (Cotma