Effects of voluntary exercise, diet, and selenium on hypothalamic adult neurogenesis

Jörgensen, Sara K.M., Martin, Rachel E., Want, Andrew, Morgan, James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8920-1065 and Petrik, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3026-0770 2026. Effects of voluntary exercise, diet, and selenium on hypothalamic adult neurogenesis. Stem Cell Open 21 (7) , 102953. 10.1016/j.stemcr.2026.102953

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Abstract

Hypothalamic adult neurogenesis is implicated in energy homeostasis; however, the impact of physical exercise, particularly under high-fat diet (HFD) conditions, on this process remains unclear. To address this, we subjected mice to short-term and long-term voluntary running under control and HFD conditions. We show that long-term, but not short-term, running upregulates hypothalamic neurogenesis in Control mice. Conversely, short-term running rescues HFD-induced neurogenesis in the median eminence (ME), promoting the differentiation and survival of newly generated neurons. This rescue effect is absent with long-term running. Furthermore, we show that selenium mimics the effects of short-term running on ME neurogenesis and increases the activation and proliferation of hypothalamic adult neural stem cells, suggesting its role as a hypothalamic exerkine. Our findings indicate that voluntary exercise differentially influences adult neurogenesis in the hypothalamus compared to the hippocampus, with its neurogenic effects being modulated by diet, exercise duration, and regional differences within hypothalamic compartments.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Optometry and Vision Sciences Schools > Biosciences
Publisher:	Cell Press
ISSN:	2213-6711
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	22 June 2026
Date of Acceptance:	12 May 2026
Last Modified:	02 Sep 2026 14:18
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187683

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