Table 1 Effects of physical exercise on microglia

Mice

Whole brain

Treadmill for 6 weeks

In EAE model (transfer of encephalitogenic T cells), exercise protected the CNS against autoimmune inflammation by reducing microglial-derived ROS production, neurotoxicity and pro-inflammatory responses

[71]

Mice

Hippocampus or remaining brain

Running wheel for 10 weeks

Aged mice showed a greater proportion of CD86 and MHC II positive microglia. In aged females, access to a running wheel decreased proportion of CD86 and MHC II positive microglia in the hippocampus whereas aged males in the running group showed a decrease in the proportion of CD86 positive microglia in the brain and an increase in the proportion of MHC II positive microglia in hippocampus and brain

[63]

Mice

Hippocampus

Treadmill for 8 weeks

Treadmill running inhibited the excessive reactivity of microglia in hippocampus of the fluoride-toxic mice, accompanied with the alteration of neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway

[140]

Mice

Spinal cord

Running wheel for 8 weeks

Exercise reduced microglial reactivity thus preventing age-related loss of motor neurones

[141]

Mice

Hippocampus

Treadmill for 9 days

Exercise protected against LPS-induced memory impairment with concomitant attenuation of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-10 mRNA expression. Exercise abolished LPS-induced response of astrocytes and microglia

[59]

Rat

Hippocampus and striatum

Running wheel for 4 weeks

Exercise reduced microglial reactivity and partially prevented damage to dopaminergic neurones in a rat model of PD

[69]

Mice

Hippocampus

Running wheel for 2 weeks

Microglia mediate exercise-induced increase in neural precursor cell activity through fractalkine signalling

[54]

Mice

Hippocampus

Running wheel for 10 days

Exercise increases microglial proliferation without morphological, antigenic or transcriptional changes

[48]

Mice

Cortices

Running wheel for 10 days

Exercise led to regional increase in microglia proliferation

[47]

Mice

Striatum and Substantia nigra

Treadmill for 4 weeks

Exercise prevented dopaminergic neuronal loss by suppressing microglial reactivity in a PD model

[68]

Mice

Hippocampus

Treadmill for 12 weeks

Exercise preserved hippocampal cognitive function, suppressed β-amyloid accumulation in the hippocampus in APP/PS1 mice, and attenuates oxidative stress possibly through modulating microglia

[65]

Rat

Hippocampus

Treadmill for 4 weeks

Exercise inhibited reactive gliosis following STZ insult, reduced expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and enhanced expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine in the hippocampus

[142]