Source Paper
Voluntary exercise produces antidepressant and anxiolytic behavioral effects in mice
Catharine H. Duman, Lee Schlesinger, David S. Russell, Ronald S. Duman
Brain Research • 2008
Forced Swim Test
Objective: Evaluation of antidepressant-like behavior in exercising mice and assessment of BDNF signaling pathway involvement using the forced swim test
This is a Forced Swim Test protocol using mouse as the model organism. The procedure involves 4 procedural steps, 2 equipment items, 1 materials. Extracted from a 2008 paper published in Brain Research.
Model and subjects
mouse • Not explicitly stated in provided text • unknown • Not explicitly stated in provided text • Not explicitly stated in provided text
Study window
Estimated timing pending
Core workflow
Exercise intervention • Forced Swim Test • MAPK pathway inhibition
Primary readouts
- Antidepressant-like behavior in forced swim test
- Anxiety-related behavior
- BDNF mRNA expression in hippocampal subfields
- FST performance in wild-type versus BDNF heterozygous knockout mice
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Exercise intervention
Mice were given free access to running wheels to allow voluntary exercise
Note: This was the primary intervention condition compared to sedentary control mice
View evidence from paper
“Mice given free access to running wheels showed antidepressant-like behavior in learned helplessness, forced-swim (FST) and tail suspension paradigms”
Forced Swim Test
Behavioral test to assess antidepressant-like behavior in exercising mice
Note: Test was performed on wild-type mice and heterozygous BDNF knockout mice after wheel-running
View evidence from paper
“We tested mice heterozygous for a deletion of the BDNF gene in the FST after wheel-running”
MAPK pathway inhibition
Subchronic administration of PD184161 MEK inhibitor to block MAPK signaling pathway in exercising mice
Note: Administered to exercising mice to investigate functional contribution of BDNF signaling pathway
View evidence from paper
“Subchronic administration of PD184161 to exercising mice blocked the antidepressant-like behavioral response seen in vehicle-treated exercising mice in the FST”
In situ hybridization analysis
Analysis of BDNF mRNA expression in hippocampal subfields after wheel running
Note: Showed increased BDNF mRNA in specific hippocampal subfields
View evidence from paper
“In situ hybridization analysis showed that BDNF mRNA was increased in specific subfields of hippocampus after wheel running”