Effect of aerobic exercise on behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine and to ipsapirone in untrained healthy subjects.
BACKGROUND
Several clinical studies suggest antidepressive and anxiolytic effects of regular aerobic exercise.


OBJECTIVE
The present study examines the effects of a 10-week protocol of moderate aerobic exercise (3-4 miles jogging 3 times per week) on central serotonergic receptor sensitivity.


METHODS
Neuroendocrine challenges using oral doses of meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP; 0.4 mg/kg), ipsapirone (0.3 mg/kg), and placebo were performed in 12 untrained healthy volunteers before and after 10 weeks of moderate aerobic exercise.


RESULTS
Before training, administration of the non-selective serotonergic agonist m-CPP, which exerts a number of well-reproducible effects mainly via its action on 5-HT2C receptors, was associated with a significant increase of cortisol and prolactin (but not adrenaline or noradrenaline) in comparison with the placebo condition. After the 10-week training period, administration of m-CPP was followed by a blunted cortisol response which was not significantly increased in comparison to the placebo challenge. In contrast, the increases of cortisol observed after administration of the 5-HT1A agonist ipsapirone were of the same magnitude during the pre- and post-training challenge sessions. The behavioral response to ipsapirone and the mean maximal increases of plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline did not change during the training period.


CONCLUSIONS
Regular aerobic exercise is associated with a blunted cortisol response to m-CPP, which might reflect a downregulation of central 5-HT2C receptors.
Broocks
A
A
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Germany. broocks.a@psychiatry.mu-luebeck.de
Meyer
T
T
Gleiter
C H
CH
Hillmer-Vogel
U
U
George
A
A
Bartmann
U
U
Bandelow
B
B
D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007590:Jogging / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D010200:Panic / Q000187:drug effects; D010879:Piperazines / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects; D044263:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT1; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D044263:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT1; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; C043077:ipsapirone; D011388:Prolactin; C015068:1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine; D006854:Hydrocortisone