Simultaneous Effect of Progesterone Usage and Exercise on Anxiety in Ovariectomized Rats

Sex hormones and exercise may influence anxiety, individually. This study was done to investigate the effect of exercise and progesterone on anxiety in ovariectomized female rats. In this experimental study, 40 adult female Wistar rats weighting 200±20gr were used. They were ovarectomized after anesthesia. They were randomly divided to five groups including control (no treatment), sesame oil, exercise and sesame oil, progesterone (8mg/kg), progesterone and exercise. 30min after intraperitoneally injection of the vehicle or progesterone or before exercise the percentage of animal enterance to the open arms and the percentage of time spent in the open arms were measured. Intraperitoneally injection of progesterone (8mg/kg) reduced the mean percentage of open arms entries and the average percentage of time spent in the open arms compared to control group (p<0.05). Doing exercises before injection of progesterone inhibited both progesterone-induced anxiety related symptoms. Administration of pharmacological doses of the progesterone hormone increases anxiety and physical activity can reduce this effect.