Mechanisms by Which Physical Activity Modulates the Wnt/β-catenin Pathway to Alleviate Anxiety-like Depression

This study aimed to explore the effect of treadmill exercise on anxiety in rats. Thirty SPF male rats aged 2 months with a body mass (225±25) g were randomly divided into control group (CG, n=10), chronic sleep deprivation (CSD, n=10) and (CSD+E, after adaptive feeding for 1 week. The CSD model CSD+E was made by multi platform water environment method. Sleep 18 h per day (from 12:00 pm. 6:00 am. next day) 8 weeks. running anxiety-like behaviour examined open field test (OFT) elevated plus maze (EPM) experiment. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, Annexin V/PI flow cytometry, immunofluorescence Western blot, RT-qPCR other methods used detect effects morphology hippocampus, apoptosis related factors caspase-12, Bax, Bcl-1, inflammatory (IL-6, TNF-a), Wnt β- catenin, p- β-catenin. results HE staining showed that brain tissue structurally intact, thick layers cone cells, relatively dense, neatly arranged compact, cell edge structures intact clearly visible, no obvious abnormal changes. layer thin, low density, disorganized sparse arrangement, blurred edges. symptoms above pathological changes gradually alleviated. OFT compared CG group, number activities central region significantly reduced (P<0.01), total distance shortened (P<0.01). EPM OT CE decreased CCK-8 activity neurons CA1 area hippocampus while increased (P<0.01); cytometry (P<0.01);Western blot IL-6, IL-1β TNF-a highly expressed Bcl-1 lowly hippocampal tissues Wnt, β-catenin p-β-catenin Gsk-3βprotein expression higher (p<0.01). caspase-12 mRNA, Bax IL-6 mRNA Compared Gsk-3βmRNA Our findings indicated weeks aerobic improved depression increasing neuronal activity, inhibiting apoptosis, reducing response activating Wnt/β-catenin pathway.