Exercise and Cyclic Light Preconditioning Protect Against Light-Induced Retinal Degeneration and Evoke Similar Gene Expression Patterns

To compare patterns of gene expression following preconditioning cyclic light rearing versus preconditioning aerobic exercise. BALB/C mice were preconditioned either by rearing in 800 lx 12: 12 h cyclic light for 8 days or by running on treadmills for 9 days, exposed to toxic levels of light to cause light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD), then sacrificed and retinal tissue harvested. Subsets of mice were maintained for an additional 2 weeks and for assessment of retinal function by electroretinogram ( ERG). Both preconditioning protocols partially but significantly preserved retinal function and morphology and induced similar leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) gene expression pattern. The data demonstrate that exercise preconditioning and cyclic light preconditioning protect photoreceptors against LIRD and evoke a similar pattern of retinal LIF gene expression. It may be that similar stress response pathways mediate the protection provided by the two preconditioning modalities.