Effect of exercise on retrograde transport in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The potential for exercise to improve function and delay disease progression in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been examined in some detail. Recent studies have shown that retrograde transport is diminished throughout disease progression in this mouse model. The finding that exercise plus viral delivery of IGF-1 significantly improves lifespan of the G93A transgenic mouse highlights the need to investigate the mechanisms by which exercise may alter factors associated with the disease. Therefore, G93A and wild-type mice underwent an eight-week treadmill running protocol, and retrograde transport and neuromuscular junction integrity were examined. Retrograde transport was significantly improved (p