The Effect of 4 Weeks of Voluntary Training on Depression-Like Behavior Induced by Childhood Stress and Oxidative Stress in Rats

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of four weeks of voluntary running on running wheel (RW) in adolescence on depression and its effect on oxidative stress in the cerebellum. For this purpose, 24 male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control, separated from mother (MS) and separated from mother and running wheel (MS + RW). MS and MS + RW rats were separated from their mothers from postnatal day (PND) 2 to 14 for 180 min. per day. Then, each 4 rats per cage were kept until the 28th day. MS + RW group had access to the running wheel 24 hours a day from the 28th day. At PND 60, depressive-like behaviors were assessed by Open Field Test (OPT), Sucrose Preference Test (SPT), Forced Swimming Test (FST) and Splash test. Biomarker of oxidative stress including mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cerebellum tissue was also measured. The results showed that voluntary running significantly neutralized depression-like behaviors induced by the maternal separation stress and reduced oxidative stress. Also, the results showed that voluntary running could be useful as a non-pharmacological treatment for depression.