Interaction of glutamatergic system inhibition and aerobic exercise on anxiety-like behaviors in rats

Introduction: Exploratory behaviors in rodents are an indicator of anxiety behaviors. In the present study, the combined effect of aerobic exercise with different intensities and inhibition of the glutamate system on exploratory behavior in rats was investigated. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 80 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 10 groups including control, diazepam (0.6 mg/kg), two doses of MK-801 (0.1 and 0.05 mg/kg), two groups of acute aerobic exercise (low and moderate intensity), two acute aerobic exercise groups (low and moderate intensity) + dose 0.1 MK-801, the two groups performing acute aerobic exercise (low and moderate intensity) + dose 0.05 MK-801. On the test day, immediately after exerciseو drugs were injected, and 30 minutes later, exploratory behaviors were assessed by an open field. Results: Low and moderate-intensity exercise with MK-801 at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg significantly increased the frequency of rearing and decreased the number of grooming, and frequency of defecation compared to control and MK-801 groups (P<0.01, P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). In addition, performing low and medium intensity exercise with MK-801 at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg significantly increased the number of rearing and decreased the number of grooming, and frequency of defecation compared to control and MK-801 groups (P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively). Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the use of exercise in combination with NMDA inhibition can be effective on anxiety-induced exploratory behaviors in animals.