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
MEK Inhibitor Pharmacological Study
Objective: Assessment of MAPK signaling pathway contribution to antidepressant-like behavioral response using PD184161 MEK inhibitor in exercising mice
This is a MEK Inhibitor Pharmacological Study protocol using mouse as the model organism. The procedure involves 7 procedural steps, 4 equipment items, 2 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
Provide voluntary exercise access • Assess baseline behavioral responses to exercise • Assess anxiety-related behavior
Primary readouts
- Antidepressant-like behavior in learned helplessness paradigm
- Antidepressant-like behavior in forced-swim test (FST)
- Antidepressant-like behavior in tail suspension test
- Anxiety-related behavior
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Provide voluntary exercise access
Mice were given free access to running wheels to establish chronic exercise condition
Note: This is the baseline exercise intervention
View evidence from paper
“Mice given free access to running wheels showed antidepressant-like behavior”
Assess baseline behavioral responses to exercise
Test exercising mice in learned helplessness, forced-swim test (FST), and tail suspension paradigms to establish antidepressant-like behavioral effects
Note: These tests establish that exercise produces antidepressant-like effects similar to antidepressant drug treatment
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”
Assess anxiety-related behavior
Test exercising mice under conditions where locomotor activity was not altered to measure reduced anxiety compared to sedentary controls
Note: Anxiety assessment conducted separately from locomotor activity measurements
View evidence from paper
“When tested under conditions where locomotor activity was not altered, exercising mice also showed reduced anxiety compared to sedentary control mice”
Perform in situ hybridization analysis
Analyze BDNF mRNA expression in hippocampal subfields following wheel running
Note: Measures molecular changes associated with exercise
View evidence from paper
“In situ hybridization analysis showed that BDNF mRNA was increased in specific subfields of hippocampus after wheel running”
Test BDNF knockout mice in FST
Test heterozygous BDNF knockout mice in forced-swim test after wheel-running to investigate functional role of BDNF
Note: Comparison with wild-type exercising mice to determine BDNF necessity
View evidence from paper
“We tested mice heterozygous for a deletion of the BDNF gene in the FST after wheel-running”
Administer PD184161 MEK inhibitor
Provide subchronic administration of PD184161 to exercising mice to block MAPK signaling pathway
Note: MEK inhibitor blocks downstream signaling from BDNF
View evidence from paper
“Subchronic administration of PD184161 to exercising mice blocked the antidepressant-like behavioral response”
Test FST performance with PD184161 treatment
Assess forced-swim test performance in exercising mice treated with PD184161 compared to vehicle-treated controls
Note: Determines whether MAPK pathway blockade prevents exercise-induced antidepressant effects
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”