Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of wheel running exercise on subventricular zone neurogenesis and the neural function in rats post cerebral ischemia. Methods 48 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced cortical infarcts with left middle artery occlusion and were housed in either standard (control group, n=24) or wheel running (exercise group, n=24). They were assessed with neurological severity scores (NSS), and the expression of Ki67 was determined with immunofluorescence, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after training. Results Compared with the control group, the number of Ki67-labeled cells in subventricular significantly increased in the exercise group 14 and 21 days after ischemia (P<0.05), and the NSS decreased since 7 days after ischemia (P<0.05). Conclusion Wheel running may promote the neurogenesis in subventricular of adult rats after cerebral infarction, which may associate with the recovery of neural function.

Key words: cerebral infarction, exercise, neurogenesis, rats