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Review
. 2023 Nov 24:14:1202349.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1202349. eCollection 2023.

The effects of peripheral hormone responses to exercise on adult hippocampal neurogenesis

Robert R Kraemer #  1 , Bradley R Kraemer #  2
Affiliations
Review

The effects of peripheral hormone responses to exercise on adult hippocampal neurogenesis

Robert R Kraemer et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Over the last decade, a considerable amount of new data have revealed the beneficial effects of exercise on hippocampal neurogenesis and the maintenance or improvement of cognitive function. Investigations with animal models, as well as human studies, have yielded novel understanding of the mechanisms through which endocrine signaling can stimulate neurogenesis, as well as the effects of exercise on acute and/or chronic levels of these circulating hormones. Considering the effects of aging on the decline of specific endocrine factors that affect brain health, insights in this area of research are particularly important. In this review, we discuss how different forms of exercise influence the peripheral production of specific endocrine factors, with particular emphasis on brain-derived neurotrophic factor, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1, ghrelin, estrogen, testosterone, irisin, vascular endothelial growth factor, erythropoietin, and cortisol. We also describe mechanisms through which these endocrine responses to exercise induce cellular changes that increase hippocampal neurogenesis and improve cognitive function.

Keywords: Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF); estrogen; exercise; growth hormone; insulin-like growth factor (IGF- I); neurogenesis; testosterone; vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representing the effects of exercise on circulating hormones that regulate neurogenesis. Different forms of exercise may stimulate the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) from vascular endothelial cells, platelets, skeletal muscle, or the brain. Exercise may also trigger the secretion of the myokine irisin from skeletal muscle, promote release of testosterone and estradiol from testes or ovaries, stimulate release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from platelets, signal adrenal glands to release DHEA and cortisol, stimulate the kidneys to release erythropoietin (EPO), and induce secretion of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. Circulating growth hormone stimulates production and release of insulin-like-growth factor-1 (IGF-1) from the liver. Collectively, increased circulating levels of BDNF, GH, IGF-1, EPO, estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, irisin, and VEGF are associated with increased hippocampal neurogenesis (green), while elevated circulating cortisol is associated with decreased neurogenesis (red).
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Funding for this manuscript was provided by the College of Science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.