Strengthening your muscles can stimulate neuron growth and help nerves recover after injury.
In a new study of mouse cells, scientists have found that both the biochemical and mechanical effects of exercise can help regenerate damaged nerve tissue. This discovery could one day be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)said the researchers.
However, this study was conducted in mouse cells, so this theoretical treatment is still far from becoming a reality.
Exercise has long been described as a type of medicine Because of its ability to prevent and reduce chronic diseases such as: heart disease and diabetes. In addition to these benefits, animal studies have shown that exercise also induces the release of chemicals called “myokines” from muscles, which have positive effects. For example, a molecule called interleukin-6, when released from muscle contraction; inflammation Improves sugar uptake into cells, according to a 2014 review in the journal integrative medical research.
Related: Why is it harder for some people to build muscle than others?
Now, a recent study was published on November 10th in the journal advanced healthcare materials We clarified how exercise affects individual neurons. It showed that myokines released during exercise increase the growth rate of motor neurons. (Motor neurons are nerve cells that control movement.)
This study is the first to show that, beyond myokines, the mechanical force of muscle contraction can also stimulate motor neuron growth.
In general, nerves have a limited ability to self-repair. Severe injuries, such as traumatic accidents that cut several millimeters of nerve tissue, require intensive treatment and surgery, the lead study author said. Ritu RamanMIT mechanical engineering professor told Live Science via email.
in 2023Raman and colleagues found that triggering muscle contractions in mice with severe muscle damage helped them recover and regain motor skills. At the same time, contraction appears to have stimulated the production of myokines that promote both nerve and blood vessel growth.
However, some researchers have suggested that other mechanisms may be involved, so the research team needed further evidence to confirm that myokines were responsible for these changes. .
So, in the new study, the team grew mouse muscle cells in tiny sheets, about a quarter the size. The researchers genetically engineered the cells to shrink in response to light. After repeatedly exposing the muscle tissue to light, the researchers collected the solution surrounding the cells in which they grew. This solution was expected to be rich in myokine.
Related: How do brain cells send messages?
When mouse motor neurons were placed in a dish containing this motor juice, the neurons grew four times faster than those not exposed to the myokine.
In a follow-up experiment, the scientists investigated whether the mechanical effects of exercise had a similar effect on motor neurons. They grew motor neurons on a gel mat embedded with small magnets and used another external magnet to gently move the mat to simulate a nearby muscle contracting. When given this stimulation for 30 minutes a day, neurons grew as much as neurons exposed to myokine and significantly outperformed neurons that received neither stimulation nor myokine.
Based on this result, the researchers believe that the strength of muscle contractions may influence the extent of motor neuron growth.
“In this paper, we only tried one exercise training regimen, but we think different types of exercise may have different types of effects on motor neurons,” Raman said. “We hope to study this further in the coming years.”
In the long term, Professor Raman hopes that this research can be used to enhance current treatments for nerve repair. However, further research is needed to determine whether myokines can effectively treat neurodegenerative diseases like ALS. Her lab is currently actively investigating this question.
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