Swimming attenuates D-galactose-induced brain aging via suppressing miR-34a-mediated autophagy impairment and abnormal mitochondrial dynamics

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be involved in many neurodegenerative diseases. To explore the regulatory role of miR-34a in agingrelated diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) during exercise intervention, we constructed a rat model with D-galactose (D-gal)-induced oxidative stress and cognitive impairment coupled with dysfunctional autophagy and abnormal mitochondrial dynamics, determined the mitigation of cognitive impairment of D-gal-induced aging rats during swimming intervention, and evaluated miR-34a-mediated functional status of autophagy and abnormal mitochondrial dynamics. Meanwhile, whether the upregulation of miR-34a can lead to dysfunctional autophagy and abnormal mitochondrial dynamics was confirmed in human SH-SY5Y cells with silenced miR-34a by the transfection of a miR-34a inhibitor. Results indicated that swimming intervention could significantly attenuate cognitive impairment, prevent the upregulation of miR-34a, mitigate the dysfunctional autophagy, and inhibit the increase of dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) in D-gal-induced aging model rats. In contrast, the miR-34a inhibitor in cell model not only attenuated D-gal-induced the impairment of autophagy but also decreased the expression of DRP1 and mitofusin 2 (MFN2). Therefore, swimming training can delay brain aging of D-gal-induced aging rats through attenuating the impairment of miR-34a-mediated autophagy and abnormal mitochondrial dynamics, and miR-34a could be the novel therapeutic target for aging-related diseases such as AD.