| خلاصه مقاله | Exercise even for a few sessions, which has been known in some sources as acute exercise, can significantly improve mood in depressed patients, and this is an immediate effect of exercise compared to common drugs that it takes a few weeks to work. Research continues on the physiological mechanism and molecular pathways involved in this effect of acute exercise on depression disorder. If the mechanisms involved in the anti-depressant effects of acute exercise can be identified, effective steps can be taken to develop new therapies inspired by the physiological traits of exercise, with less complications and quicker effects. In this study, and for the first time, the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK); p38, in the effects of acute exercise on depressive behavior in rats has been investigated.
Following 7 weeks of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) protocol, Wistar male rats were exercised under moderate intensity for 60 min per session for five days. After exercise training, forced swimming tests were used to assess depression behaviors. After this test, the duration of immobility time for every rat was measured using the video of tests by two observers who were blinded to grouping of rats. In addition, hippocampal p38 protein level was examined using western blot technique.
Chronic unpredictable stress increased immobility time of stress group and acute exercise decreased this time significantly. Chronic unpredictable stress also induced phosphorylation and hence activation of p38 and acute exercise was found to reduce p38 activation in the hippocampal formation of stress exercised rats, when compared to the stress group.
These findings revealed that acute exercise may be beneficial in ameliorating stress induced depression behavior, via reducing phosphorylation and activation p38 signaling pathway. |