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Moderate Exerciwse Buffers Against Endocrine and Behavioral Consequences of Social and Environmental Stress
Author(s) -
Watanasriyakul Withayapon,
Cox Miranda,
Woodbury Matthew,
Colburn William,
Wardwell Joshua,
McNeal Neal,
Grippo Angela J.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.1020.12
Subject(s) - stressor , social isolation , chronic stress , behavioural despair test , social stress , corticosterone , anxiety , depression (economics) , psychology , elevated plus maze , prairie vole , medicine , endocrine system , physiology , mood , endocrinology , social support , clinical psychology , microtus , hormone , developmental psychology , psychiatry , biology , ecology , macroeconomics , economics , psychotherapist , antidepressant
Mild chronic environmental stress has been associated with emotional disturbances and negative physiological changes, such as hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) dysfunction. This dysfunction may lead to cardiovascular diseases as well as psychological disorders such as depression. Further, social and environmental stressors may have synergistic damaging effects. Socially isolated individuals who also experience chronic stress may be more susceptible to depression and HPA axis dysregulation. However, physical activity has been shown to combat the detrimental effects of stress; as elevated mood, decreased plasma glucose, and increased metabolism are beneficial outcomes of exercise. The current study examined the potential stress buffering effects of exercise against social isolation and chronic mild stress (CMS) using a prairie vole model. Prairie voles are a socially monogamous rodent species with a similar social structure to humans, including forming social bonds and living in family groups. Adult female prairie voles were separated from a same‐sex sibling and housed individually for 4 weeks. During the final 2 weeks of the isolation period, all animals underwent a CMS paradigm involving mild unpredictable stressors. Furthermore, during this 2‐week period, half of the voles were allowed access to a running wheel (vs. sedentary control). At the end of the isolation period, all animals underwent a forced swim test (FST) and an elevated plus maze (EPM), to assess depressive‐ and anxiety‐behaviors, respectively. In addition, plasma was collected for corticosterone (CORT) assay. A high variability of activity was noted in the Exercise group; therefore, animals were split into 3 subgroups: low (< 0.01 km/day), moderate (0.01 – 3.5 km/day), and high (> 3.5 km/day). Voles in the Exercise group displayed significantly lower levels of immobility during the FST, and spent more time in the open arms of the EPM compared to animals in the Sedentary group, indicative of reduced depressive‐ and anxiety‐behaviors, respectively. Voles in the Exercise group had significantly lower plasma CORT levels compared to voles in the Sedentary group. Interestingly, animals that moderately exercised displayed less immobility during the FST and had lower CORT levels compared to animals in the low and high exercise subgroups. The current study provides evidence that physical activity can have protective effects against social isolation as well as CMS. Moreover, targeting the optimum level of activity may have additional benefits, as animals with moderate exercise levels exhibited fewer behavioral and endocrine signs of depression and anxiety. Thus, moderate exercise may lead to superior behavioral and physiological outcomes as a buffer against social and environmental stressors in humans. Support or Funding Information HL112350