TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical exercise counteracts stress-induced upregulation of melanin-concentrating hormone in the brain and stress-induced persisting anxiety-like behaviors
AU - Kim, Tae Kyung
AU - Han, Pyung Lim
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Experimental Neurobiology 2016.
PY - 2016/8/1
Y1 - 2016/8/1
N2 - Chronic stress induces anxiety disorders, whereas physical exercise is believed to help people with clinical anxiety. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying stress-induced anxiety and its counteraction by exercise using an established animal model of anxiety. Mice treated with restraint for 2 h daily for 14 days exhibited anxiety-like behaviors, including social and nonsocial behavioral symptoms, and these behavioral impairments lasted for more than 12 weeks after the stress treatment was removed. Despite these lasting behavioral changes, wheel-running exercise treatment for 1 h daily from post-stress days 1 - 21 counteracted anxiety-like behaviors, and these anxiolytic effects of exercise persisted for more than 2 months, suggesting that anxiolytic effects of exercise stably induced. Repeated restraint treatment up-regulated the expression of the neuropeptide, melaninconcentrating hormone (MCH), in the lateral hypothalamus, hippocampus, and basolateral amygdala, the brain regions important for emotional behaviors. In an in vitro study, treatment of HT22 hippocampal cells with glucocorticoid increased MCH expression, suggesting that MCH upregulation can be initially triggered by the stress hormone, corticosterone. In contrast, post-stress treatment with wheel-running exercise reduced the stress-induced increase in MCH expression to control levels in the lateral hypothalamus, hippocampus and basolateral amygdala. Administration of an MCH receptor antagonist (SNAP94847) to stress-treated mice was therapeutic against stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors. These results suggest that repeated stress produces long-lasting anxietylike behaviors and upregulates MCH in the brain, while exercise counteracts stress-induced MCH expression and persisting anxietylike behaviors.
AB - Chronic stress induces anxiety disorders, whereas physical exercise is believed to help people with clinical anxiety. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying stress-induced anxiety and its counteraction by exercise using an established animal model of anxiety. Mice treated with restraint for 2 h daily for 14 days exhibited anxiety-like behaviors, including social and nonsocial behavioral symptoms, and these behavioral impairments lasted for more than 12 weeks after the stress treatment was removed. Despite these lasting behavioral changes, wheel-running exercise treatment for 1 h daily from post-stress days 1 - 21 counteracted anxiety-like behaviors, and these anxiolytic effects of exercise persisted for more than 2 months, suggesting that anxiolytic effects of exercise stably induced. Repeated restraint treatment up-regulated the expression of the neuropeptide, melaninconcentrating hormone (MCH), in the lateral hypothalamus, hippocampus, and basolateral amygdala, the brain regions important for emotional behaviors. In an in vitro study, treatment of HT22 hippocampal cells with glucocorticoid increased MCH expression, suggesting that MCH upregulation can be initially triggered by the stress hormone, corticosterone. In contrast, post-stress treatment with wheel-running exercise reduced the stress-induced increase in MCH expression to control levels in the lateral hypothalamus, hippocampus and basolateral amygdala. Administration of an MCH receptor antagonist (SNAP94847) to stress-treated mice was therapeutic against stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors. These results suggest that repeated stress produces long-lasting anxietylike behaviors and upregulates MCH in the brain, while exercise counteracts stress-induced MCH expression and persisting anxietylike behaviors.
KW - Anxiety
KW - BLA
KW - Exercise
KW - Hippocampus
KW - MCH
KW - Stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84995685334&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5607/en.2016.25.4.163
DO - 10.5607/en.2016.25.4.163
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84995685334
SN - 1226-2560
VL - 25
SP - 163
EP - 173
JO - Experimental Neurobiology
JF - Experimental Neurobiology
IS - 4
ER -