Amplagan, Santhana (2022) Mental Toughness: Evaluation on The Effects of Moderate Intensity Swimming Exercise in a Sprague Dawley Rat Model of Depression by Behavioural Study. [Project Paper] (Submitted)
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Abstract
Stress and depression has been common in today’s generation which affects the quality of someone’s life. According to WHO, approximately 280 million of people suffer from severe stress and depression globally which has contributed to suicide cases worldwide. Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of depressed individuals is reportedly overactive leading to higher production and release of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Aerobic exercises such as swimming have shown to reduce stress and depression by producing endorphins and reducing cortisol level. Objective: This study aims to assess the effects of moderate intensity swimming exercise on body weight and food intake in Sprague Dawley rat model of depression. Besides that, it also aims to compare the effects of swimming exercise on their behaviour as well as determine the impact on the tissues and organs. Methodology: Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups consisting of normal, depressed, exercise and depressed plus exercise. The exercise training consists of swimming (20 min/d, 5 d/wk), with an overload of 5% of the rat body weight indicating moderate intensity. Adaptation to swimming exercise was conducted one week prior to the experiment. To mimic depressive like behaviour, subcutaneous injection of dexamethasone (1.5 mg/kg) was induced daily. After three weeks of experiment, behavioural study was conducted to assess the behavioural effects, namely, novel object recognition test. Then, the rats were euthanized and tissues and organs were dissected. Results: Swimming exercise improves body weight and food intake significantly besides demonstrating significantly higher exploration ratio compared to depressed group. As for tissue and organs data, namely, liver, kidney, heart, brain, gastrocnemius muscle and different type of fats, there weren’t significant difference between depressed plus exercise group and depressed group. However, exercise showed slightly positive changes. Discussion: Increase in body weight and food intake in exercised rats compared to significantly lower level in depressed group indicates exercise promotes good appetite. Exercise also increases learning and memory in depressed group. Even though there weren’t much significant changes in tissue and organ weight, depression found to affect organ weight negatively and exercise improves them. Conclusion: Depression adversely affects the rats’ behaviour and internal organs whereas exercise is found to improve them and provide good wellbeing.
| Item Type: | Project Paper |
|---|---|
| Faculty: | Faculty of Medicine and Health Science |
| Depositing User: | Ms. Nor Safa'aton Saidin |
| Date Deposited: | 22 Aug 2023 04:37 |
| Last Modified: | 22 Aug 2023 04:37 |
| URI: | http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/1372 |
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