scholarly journals Targeting TrkB with a brain-derived neurotrophic factor mimetic promotes myelin repair in the brain

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L Fletcher ◽  
Rhiannon J Wood ◽  
Jacqueline Nguyen ◽  
Eleanor ML Norman ◽  
Christine MK Jun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Myelin Sheath ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Demyelinating Diseases ◽  
Sheath Thickness ◽  
Oligodendrocyte Differentiation ◽  
Trkb Receptors ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Myelin Sheath Thickness

AbstractMethods to promote myelin regeneration in response to central myelin loss are essential to prevent the progression of clinical disability in demyelinating diseases. The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to promote myelination during development via oligodendrocyte expressed TrkB receptors. Here, we use a structural mimetic of BDNF to promote myelin regeneration in a preclinical mouse model of central demyelination. We show that selective targeting of TrkB with the BDNF-mimetic enhances remyelination, increasing oligodendrocyte differentiation, the frequency of myelinated axons, and myelin sheath thickness after a demyelinating insult. Treatment with exogenous BDNF exerted an attenuated effect, increasing myelin sheath thickness only. Further, following conditional deletion of TrkB from pre-myelinating oligodendrocytes, we show the effects of the BDNF-mimetic on oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination are lost, indicating these are dependent on oligodendrocyte expression of TrkB. Overall, these studies demonstrate that targeting oligodendrocyte TrkB promotes in vivo remyelination in the brain.

scholarly journals Changes in the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Are Associated with Improvements in Diabetes Risk Factors after Exercise Training in Adolescents with Obesity: The HEARTY Randomized Controlled Trial

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy J. Walsh ◽  
Amedeo D’Angiulli ◽  
Jameason D. Cameron ◽  
Ronald J. Sigal ◽  
Glen P. Kenny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Exercise Training ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Fasting Glucose ◽  
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Diabetes Risk ◽  
Model Assessment ◽  
Neurocognitive Deficits ◽  
Diabetes Risk Factors ◽  
The Brain

Obesity in youth increases the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and both are risk factors for neurocognitive deficits. Exercise attenuates the risk of obesity and T2D while improving cognitive function. In adults, these benefits are associated with the actions of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein critical in modulating neuroplasticity, glucose regulation, fat oxidation, and appetite regulation in adults. However, little research exists in youth. This study examined the associations between changes in diabetes risk factors and changes in BDNF levels after 6 months of exercise training in adolescents with obesity. The sample consisted of 202 postpubertal adolescents with obesity (70% females) aged 14–18 years who were randomized to 6 months of aerobic and/or resistance training or nonexercise control. All participants received a healthy eating plan designed to induce a 250/kcal deficit per day. Resting serum BDNF levels and diabetes risk factors, such as fasting glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-B—beta cell insulin secretory capacity) and (HOMA-IS—insulin sensitivity), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), were measured after an overnight fast at baseline and 6 months. There were no significant intergroup differences on changes in BDNF or diabetes risk factors. In the exercise group, increases in BDNF were associated with reductions in fasting glucose (β = −6.57, SE = 3.37, p=0.05) and increases in HOMA-B (β = 0.093, SE = 0.03, p=0.004) after controlling for confounders. No associations were found between changes in diabetes risk factors and BDNF in controls. In conclusion, exercise-induced reductions in some diabetes risk factors were associated with increases in BDNF in adolescents with obesity, suggesting that exercise training may be an effective strategy to promote metabolic health and increases in BDNF, a protein favoring neuroplasticity. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00195858, September 12, 2005 (funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research).

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