Brain cell water channels may affect how exercise timing helps clear waste in Alzheimer’s patients

Aerobic exercise may enhance the clearance of β-amyloid from the brain through the aquaporin 4 (AQP4) protein.

• There are currently no effective drug therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
• Aerobic exercise has been shown to have time-sensitive benefits in the prevention and treatment of AD.
• AQP4 is involved in the glymphatic system that clears interstitial solutes, including β-amyloid, from the brain.
• Voluntary exercise has been demonstrated to promote glymphatic clearance function in mice.
• Glymphatic function decreases in mid- to late-stage AD due to loss of AQP4 polarity distribution.
• AQP4-mediated glymphatic clearance may be critical for the efficacy of aerobic exercise in treating AD.

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