Lily Mohammadipoor-ghasemabad - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran|Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman,
Mohammad Hossein Sangtarash - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
saeed Esmaeili-Mahani - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
Vahid Sheibani - Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran

Objective(s): The protective effect of regular running on sleep deprivation (SD)-induced cognitive impairment has been revealed. In this study, we focused on the effects of regular exercise, sleep deprivation and both of them together on the microRNA-1b (miR-1b) expression and their relation to the behavioral parameters and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. Materials and Methods: We used ovariectomized (OVX) female rats. The exercise program was mild-moderate treadmill training for 4 weeks. 72 hr SD was achieved using the multiple platform method and the spatial learning and memory parameters have been evaluated by the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The levels of studied genes were quantified by real-time PCR.Results: SD down-regulated pri-miR-1b, miR-1b (P˂0.05), and BDNF mRNA (P˂0.01) in the hippocampus. Furthermore, female rats under exercise conditions showed significant up-regulation of the miR-1b and BDNF mRNA (P˂0.001). In addition, miR-1b positively correlated with cognitive function (P˂0.05) and BDNF mRNA (P˂0.01).Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that regular treadmill exercise could reverse the down-regulation of hippocampal miR-1b, which has a probable role in the SD-induced cognitive impairment.

Female rats, Hippocampus, Mir-1b, Sleep deprivation, Treadmill training