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Regular Aerobic Voluntary Exercise Increased Oxytocin in Female Mice: The Cause of Decreased Anxiety and Increased Empathy-Like Behaviors
- Source :
- Balkan Medical Journal, Vol 36, Iss 5, Pp 257-262 (2019)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Galenos Publishing House, 2019.
-
Abstract
- Background: It is known that regular physical activity reduces anxiety. Low anxiety levels affect mood, emotions, and empathy. Oxytocin is a powerful hormone that regulates social interaction, sexual reproduction, maternal–infant bonding, milk release, empathy, and anxiety. Empathy is an important behavior in the living community; and also important for sportsmen during sportive competition and daily living life, because sportsmen are also role model of people. Aims: To investigate the effects of voluntary physical activity on oxytocin, anxiety, and empathy levels as well as the relationship between them. Study Design: Animal experiment. Methods: Male and female mice were made to exercise in running wheel cages for 6 weeks. Their empathy and anxiety levels were evaluated by using Helping Behavior test and elevated plus maze and open field test, respectively. And then the brain and blood oxytocin levels were measured. Results: Empathy-like behavior was improved in both genders of the exercise groups (door-opening time decreased in both genders of exercise groups, p for both=0.0001). As a response to exercise, both the brain and serum oxytocin levels increased in female mice (both of p=0.0001); however, in males, oxytocin levels increased in only the brain (p
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 21463123 and 21463131
- Volume :
- 36
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Balkan Medical Journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.080f3632572144d88be44935dfdb1208
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2019.2018.12.87