BDNF: The Neurotrophin Family

The field of exercise science is facilitating and understanding of links between fitness exercise, diet and health. There have been many studies that show how exercise and the human body interact. My main interest is being a physical therapy and showing how exercise can help the human body when used effectively. If you over exert yourself, it can cause your immune system not to function correctly. In this exploratory essay a comparison of a journal article and news article to find out that intense exercise can cause the immune system not to recover after exercise.

[www.nutrition.org.uk] Therefore, any form of exercise is encouraged to increase energy output, as well as reducing energy output obtained from the diet. High Blood Pressure, or Hypertension, has been related to

When you read about elevated levels of plasma brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rapid cycling bipolar disorder patients, it could be quite a mouthful. One may wonder, what does this even mean? Well, in simple English, high concentrations of BDNF is something that has been seen in people who suffer from rapid cycling bipolar disorder when compared to healthy individuals. Rapid cycling is a random pattern of recurrent episodes which occurs in bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. Someone with this may suffer through four or more occurrences of mania, hypomania, euthymia or depression in a single year. This can happen any time during the disorder and can also keep happening longer than just a few days, weeks, or months,

Studies on nerve fibers’ longitudinal growth, axons’ regeneration and structural plasticity of axons and dendrites illustrated that they are restricted to short distances and limited spatial dimensions in the CNS. Scientists recognized that neural repair required plasticity, sprouting, and regeneration, which was limited within the adult CNS. However, once adult CNS axons from multiple areas successfully regenerated into peripheral nerve grafts in the spinal cord, brain, or optic nerve, scientists discovered the key role of local tissue microenvironment in determining the extent of growth. Scientists discovered neurite growth inhibitor factors enriched in myelin such as Nogo-A, myelin proteins, MAG and OMgp, semaphorins and ephrins, and chondroitin sulphate

BDNF is a member of of the neurotrophin family of growth factors. In vitro studies showed that BDNF participate in regulation of neuronal morphology and synaptogenesis and is involved in late LTP. The effects of BDNF are mediated through TrkB receptors.

Advanced stages show signs of extreme muscle rigidity akin to Parkinson’s accompanied by seizure activity in early, as well as late stages. Numerous neural abnormalities are also present, specifically reduced branching, size, density, spines and global hypoprofusion indicative of potential atrophy accompanied by white, as well as grey matter & thalamic abnormalities(Burroni et al., 1997) Dopaminergic, as well as cholinergic abnormalities are thought to be in part associated with potential cerebral cortical impairment & production of microtubule protein 2 (Kauffmann, Naidu & Budden.,1995) Dendritic spine dysgenesis is also present, which according to Xu, Miller & Miller (2014) is thought to be influenced in part by reduced brain derived neurotrophic growth factor. Such growth protein is essential, as well as essential for numerous functions including plasticity, neurogenesis, neuron survival, becoming functionally integrated following migration & differentiation of progenitor cells during critical development

GM1 is a ganglioside that impacts neuronal plasticity, repair mechanisms, and the release of neurotrophins in the brain. GM1 promotes neuronal growth and survival by modulating tyrosine kinase receptors for neurotrophic factors. GM1’s neurotrophic action is exerted on dopaminergic neurons by interacting with the GDNF receptor complex, Ret tyrosine kinase, and GFR alpha-1

Physical activity has a number of biological effects on our bodies, some of which have been proposed to explain associations with specific cancers, including: Lowering levels of hormones, such as insulin and estrogen, and of certain growth factors that have

Cbln1 is significantly known for its role in early stages of brain development (Miura et al. 2006). Deans et al., in 2010 reported that during inner ear formation Cbln1 interacts with Otolin. The important point about CBLN1 protein is, it helps signaling in the brain (Hirai et al., 2005), and modulates endocrine secretion (Rucinski et al., 2009). Later Gyurján et al. in 2011 showed that during early stages of limb development in mouse Cbln1 expressed only at E11.5, but for normal limb formation this gene should rapidly down-regulated. An interesting point regarding wild type and TP63-null mouse is overall development of central nervous system is normal and mutation of both TP63 alleles don’t affect nervous tissues (Holembowski et al., 2011), also my ISH showed that the expression of Cbln1 in cerebellum is similar in both normal and TP63-null mice in early stages of tooth development

The study was conducted over a 16 week period and involved a control group, where participants did not exercise at all, and an experimental group, where participants followed an exercise program involving 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, 5 days per week. PEFR measurements taken at the beginning of the study were compared with those taken after. The study found that the mean PEFR of the experimental group increased by 17%, whilst that of the control group showed only a 0.4% increase. Therefore, the study concluded that undergoing aerobic exercise leads to an improvement in pulmonary function in healthy subjects. Furthermore, this indicates that in general, increasing fitness levels will increase

Neurogenesis is an endogenous process that involves coordinated proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural precursor cells [1]. It determines brain formation during embryonic development, but persists in localized regions of the adult brain or neurogenic niches. As a result of aging, brain injury, genetic mutations and a number of other factors, the progressive loss of structure, function, and depletion of neural precursors may contribute to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s

Within nerve cells there are proteins called neurotrophins. They play a role in development and in the function of neuron signalling. Nerve Growth Factor (NGf) is a neurotrophin that stimulates division and development of sympathetic and embryonic sensory neurons. Without it functioning effectively neuron signalling is reduced. A 2010 study conducted on the brains of lab rats (Durson et al 2011) indicated that Vitamin D has the potential to upregulate VDR expression and nerve growth factor (NGF), thus reducing cell apoptosis and increasing nerve cell signalling. This mechanism indicates that VD may have cognitive enhancing effects as well as AD preventative effects.

As the intensity of exercise increased, so did the rates of the heart and breathing. After a small period of rest, the heart rate and breathing rate both decreased to a point close to their resting rate. This proved the stated hypothesis. First, the hearts average resting rate was recorded to be 76 bpm. The heart is therefore transporting oxygen and removing carbon dioxide at a reasonably steady rate via the blood. During the low intensity exercise (Slow 20) the heart rate increases to 107 bpm, which further increases to 130bpm at a higher intensity level (Fast 20). The heart therefore needs to beat faster to increase the speed at which oxygen is carried to the cells and the rate at which carbon dioxide is taken away by the blood.

usually people with a high body mass, which is often accompanied by cardiovascular and respiratory diseases (hypertension, ischemic heart disease). Our analysis showed that only men from the control group met the standards recommended by ACSM and ADA for health enhancement, and the frequency of activities in these men was significantly longer than in the diabetic patients. In women, there was no such relationship, since most of them were insufficiently physically active.

It’s important to understand the definition pf physical activity. An all-encompassing definition of physical activity is ‘any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure’ (Department of Health PA, 2011). Physical activity intensity varies from sedentary (physically inactive) to vigorous (high intensity activity). Moderate intensity physical activity sits in-between sedentary and vigorous intensity physical activity. It requires a reasonable amount of effort and noticeably accelerates the heart rate and breathing rate. Examples include walking, doing house chores, and gardening. Vigorous intensity physical activity requires a large amount of effort, causes rapid breathing and a substantial increase in heart rate, e.g. running, aerobics, sports such as squash and rugby. There are lots of benefit when someone care to take part in any physical activity which extend over multiple body systems. The risk of multiple disorders can be reduced, and besides, it also act as therapeutic for physicals disorders, such as cardiovascular diseases (Khaw, 2008). Not only physical activity may give positive physical effects, physical activity offers both therapeutic and preventive psychological