Whether exercise-induced antidepressant effects are regulated by inosine-mediated BDNF expression in the brain?

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K01737
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Nippon Medical School
• Principal Investigator: Mikami Toshio 日本医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (60199966)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 運動 / 不活動 / 抗うつ / イノシン / アデノシン受容体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we confirmed the usefulness of exercise therapy in the treatment of depression and examined whether the antidepressant effect induced by exercise was related to inosine action via adenosine receptors. By rearing mice in a 6-divided cage, physical activity decreased to 50% of the normal level, which caused depressive behaviors. The onset of depressive behaviors was inhibited by making mice exercise at low-intensity regularly while rearing inactively. The administration of adenosine receptor inhibitors did not affect the improvement of depressive behaviors caused by exercise. These results suggested that inosine was not related to improving depressive behaviors caused by low-intensity exercise.

Free Research Field

運動生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

社会的なストレスが増加した現代社会において，うつ病を含む精神疾患患者は増加の一途をたどっている．一方，うつ病の予防・改善に運動が効果的であることは認知されているが、その作用機序は未だに明確ではない．本研究では運動の抗うつ効果を脳内イノシンの作用の点から検討した．しかし，本研究の結果からは，運動による抗うつ効果にイノシンの関与は見いだせなかった．しかし，その実験の過程で，身体的不活動がうつ様行動を引き起こす危険因子であることが明らかにされた．本研究は，身体活動量を低下させないことがうつ病予防の第一歩である啓蒙していく上での重要な研究結果となると期待される．