The Effect of Aerobic Exercise and Curcumin Diet Supplement on Anxiety Behavior and Locomotor Activity of Female Balb/C Mice Exposed to Lead Nitrate Using the Hole-Board Test

Lead is one of the neurotoxic environmental pollutants that causes anxiety behaviors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise and curcumin diet supplement on anxiety behavior and locomotor activity of lead nitrate-infected female Balb / c mice in the hole-board test.

In the present experimental study conducted in 2019, 42 female mice weighing 25-30 g were purchased from Pasteur Institute of Iran. One week before the start of the study, the rats underwent low-intensity aerobic exercise for 10 minutes (five sessions) for adaptation and familiarization. Subsequently, they were randomly divided into seven groups of six including healthy group (control), negative control group receiving distilled water, negative control group receiving distilled water and ethanol solvent, positive control group receiving lead nitrate, receiving group Lead nitrate and aerobic exercise, lead nitrate and curcumin supplement group and lead nitrate, aerobic and curcumin exercise were divided. At the end of the study, the Hullboard test was taken to evaluate the anxiety behavior and motor activity of the animals. One-way analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis and Tukey post hoc test was used for multiple comparisons.

The results of the present study indicated that after oral administration of lead, the number of times the head was sunk into the holes of the hollow board and the latency was reduced compared to the control group (p=0.01), whereas, the number of times the lines were crossed. Positive (+) page (movement activity) increased (p= 0.001). Curcumin supplementation increased the number of times the head was sunk into the holes (p= 0.03), increased the latency (p = 0.02) and decreased the number of times crossing the lines (p= 0.01) compared to the lead nitrate group. Aerobic exercise increased the latency (p=0.02) and decreased the locomotor activity compared to the lead nitrate group (p=0.01), but no significant change was observed in the number of head dips into the plate holes. In addition, performing aerobic exercises simultaneously with curcumin injection caused more head immersion into the holes (p=0.001), increased latency (p=0.01) and decreased motor activity compared to the experimental groups (p=0.01).

 In general, it was concluded that exposure to lead nitrate causes anxiety behavior. Also, the aerobic training and curcumin supplementation can moderate the anxious effects of lead nitrate treatment.