Voluntary vs forced physical activity, which is more effective in reducing body weight gain from sucrose consumption?

ABSTRACT The organoleptic characteristics of sucrose encourage its consumption in excessive amounts that result in increased body weight and possible involvement of other health indicators. In contrast, physical activity reduces body weight and promotes health and well-being, however the question remains as to what type of physical activity is the most effective to achieve those goals. The objective of the current study was to compare the effect of voluntary (VA) vs forced physical activity (FA) on body weight in organisms that consume sucrose daily. Twenty, three-month-old Wistar female rats were assigned either VA or FA; both groups were exposed to beverages with 8% sucrose concentration. The results showed that consuming sucrose daily increased body weight, despite being an active organism. However, this increase was by 11% in the VA group and 8.4% among the FA group. Therefore, although neither type of physical activity proposed in this study was effective to reduce body weight, FA influenced body weight gain less. Another interesting result was that VA registered a greater effect by reducing the consumption of sucrose. In conclusion, performing physical activity delays, but does not reverse, body weight gain from sucrose consumption.

RESUMEN Las características organolépticas de la sacarosa incentivan su consumo en cantidades excesivas que tienen como resultado el incremento del peso corporal y la posible afectación de otros indicadores de salud. En contraparte, la realización de actividad física reduce el peso corporal y favorece la salud y bienestar, pero ¿cuál es la manera más efectiva de realizar actividad física para lograr esos objetivos? Se planteó como objetivo comparar el efecto de la actividad física voluntaria (AV) contra el de la actividad física forzada (AF) sobre el peso corporal en organismos que consumen diariamente sacarosa. Se utilizaron veinte ratas hembras de la cepa Wistar de tres meses de edad, agrupadas en: (1) actividad voluntaria; (2) actividad forzada. Ambos expuestos a una bebida al 8% de concentración de sacarosa. Los resultados mostraron que consumir sacarosa diariamente incrementa el peso corporal, a pesar de ser un organismo activo. Sin embargo, este aumento fue en un 11% en AV y del 8.4% en AF. Por lo que, si bien ningún tipo de actividad física propuesto en este estudio fue efectivo para reducir el peso corporal, realizar actividad física de forma forzada influye en que la ganancia de el peso corporal sea menor. Otro resultado de interés, fue que realizar actividad física voluntaria registró un mayor efecto al reducir el consumo de sacarosa. En conclusión, realizar actividad fisica retrasa, pero no revierte la ganancia de peso corporal ante el consumo de sacarosa.

Association between carbohydrate consumption with telomere length based on plasma malondialdehyde in Minangkabau male

Background: Life expectancy was one indicator of human development index in the health sector, one of which was affected by the telomere shortening process. There were many factors that cause shortening of telomere, including an imbalance of carbohydrate consumption then oxidative stress. The study aimed to examine the association between carbohydrate and carbohydrate simplex (sucrose) consumption with telomere length based on plasma malondialdehyde in Minangkabau male.Methods: The study was cross-sectional with 97 samples from male civil servant, Minangkabau ethnic, 40-50 years old in Padang City. Carbohydrate and sucrose consumptions were obtained through semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, plasma malondialdehyde examination with thiobarbituric acid test and telomere length measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction using O'Challagan and Fenech method.Results: The result showed mean of telomere length was 550.43±188.47 bp; mean of carbohydrate consumption 1280.97±433.57 kcal or 48.80±16.52%; mean of sucrose consumption 179.40±126.61 kcal or 6.83±4.82% and mean plasma malondialdehyde 66.91±13.93 nmol/ml. The association of carbohydrate consumption with telomere length based on plasma malondialdehyde was obtained p-value = 0.714, 0.908 and 0.903. The relationship of sucrose consumption with telomere length based on malondialdehyde was obtained p-value=0,667 and 1,000. Differences in mean telomere length in various categories of carbohydrate and sucrose consumption obtained p-value = 0.547 and 0.559.Conclusions: There was no significant association between carbohydrate and carbohydrate simplex (sucrose) consumption with telomere length based on plasma malondialdehyde of Minangkabau male; and no significant difference in telomere length in different categories of carbohydrate consumption and different sucrose consumption.

Auricular electroacupuncture improves depression possibly by promoting hippocampal Raf/ERK/RSK/CREB signaling in chronic unpredictable mild stress induced depression rats / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of auricular electroacupuncture (EA) on intracellular Raf/ extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/ ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK)/ cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) signal pathway in the hippocampus of depression model rats, so as to explore its anti-depressive mechanism. METHODS: A total of 60 male SD rats were randomly divided into control, model, auricular EA, PD98059(ERK inhibitor), DMSO (Dimethylsulfoxide), PD98059+EA groups (n=10 in each group). The rats in the control group were fed with normal diet without any treatment. The depression model was induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for consecutive 21 days. EA (20 Hz, 2 mA) was applied to bilateral auricular "Xin"(Heart) and "Shenmen" for 30 min, once daily for 28 days. Rats of the PD98059, DMSO and PD98059+EA groups received intracerebroventricular injection of PD98059(100 µmol/L), DMSO and PD98059 (dissolved by DMSO) solutions (5 µL/d), respectively, once daily for 28 days. Sucrose preference test (sucrose consumption) was conducted at the baseline, before and after the intervention. The expression of hippocampal Raf, phosphorylated (p)-Raf, ERK, p-ERK, RSK, CREB and p-CREB proteins were detected by Western blot after EA intervention. RESULTS: Following modeling, the sucrose consumption volume, and the expression levels of hippocampal Raf, p-Raf, ERK, p-ERK, RSK, CREB, p-CREB proteins were significantly lower in the model group than those in the control group (P<0.01). Following the treatment, the sucrose consumption and the expression levels of Raf, p-Raf, ERK, p-ERK, RSK, CREB, p-CREB in the auricular EA group and those of p-Raf, ERK and CREB in the PD98059+EA group were obviously increased in comparison with the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01), the expression level of p-ERK in the PD98059 group was obviously decreased in comparison with the model group (P<0.05), suggesting an improvement of depression after auricular EA. Compared with auricular EA group, the expression level of p-ERK, p-CREB and RSK in the PD98059+EA group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA of auricular "Xin" and "Shenmen" is able to improve depression in depression rats, which is probably related to its effect in promoting activities of hippocampal Raf/ERK/RSK/CREB signaling.

Chronic Administration of Bacopa Monniera Increases BDNF Protein and mRNA Expressions: A Study in Chronic Unpredictable Stress Induced Animal Model of Depression

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate whether graded doses of Bacopa Monniera (BM) extract could produce antidepressant-like effects in chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) induced depression in rats and its possible mechanism(s). METHODS: Rats were subjected to an experimental setting of CUS. The effect of BM extract treatment in CUS-induced depression was examined using behavioral tests including the sucrose consumption, open field test and shuttle box escape test. The mechanism underlying the antidepressant-like action of BM extract was examined by measuring brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein and mRNA expression in brain tissues of CUS-exposed rats. RESULTS: Exposure to CUS for 4 weeks caused depression-like behavior in rats, as indicated by significant decreases in sucrose consumption, locomotor activity and escape latency. In addition, it was found that BDNF protein and mRNA levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex were lower in CUS-treated rats, as compared to controls. Daily administration of the graded doses of BM extract during the 4-week period of CUS significantly suppressed behavioral changes and attenuated the CUS-induced decrease in BDNF protein and mRNA levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that BM extract alleviates depression induced by CUS. Present study also confirms that 80-120 mg/kg doses of BM extract have significantly higher antidepressant-like activity.

The difference among the depression-like behaviours induced by three widely-used stress models in rats / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective In order to study the difference of depression-like behaviours among three widelyused stress models in rats.Methods The new-born Spragne-Dawley rats were randomly divided into maternal deprivation(MD) group(n=27),chronic mild stress(CMS) group (n=29),dual stress(DS) group ( n=31 ) and control (C) group ( n =30) on postnatal day 1.MD rats only received maternal deprivation.CMS rats only received chronic mild stress when 10 weeks old.DS rats received both maternal deprivation and chronic mild stress.Control rats received no experimental handling.Behavior tests including forced swimming test and sucrose consumption which were carried out to evaluate rats' depression-like behaviors in the thirteenth weeks.The extend time of floating and sucrose preference ratio should be recorded in the forced swimming test and sucrose consumption test respectively to reflect the behavior of helplessness and anhedonia of rats.Results In the forced swimming test,the extend floating time of MD group( 119.30 ± 65.56) s,CMS group ( 145.00 ± 80.24) s and DS group ( 170.03 ±61.75 )s were longer than the control group(81.14 ± 52.40)s (F =11.53,P ＜ 0.01 ).In the sucrose consumption test,the MD group(0.32 ± 0.22) had a low sucrose consumption.The comparison of the MD group and CMS group (0.43 ± 0.28 ) to the control group (0.54 ± 0.28 ) had significant differences (F =4.33,P ＜ 0.01 ).In these four groups,no sexual difference was found in the forced swimming test and sucrose consumption test ( all P ＞ 0.05 ).Conclusion The results suggest that MD,CMS and DS may induce some kind of depression-like behaviors in rodents such as anhedonia or the behavior of helplessness and the depression-like behaviors induced by different stresses are similar in male and female individuals.

Enriched environment and antidepressant treatment during juvenility overcome the memory deficits and depressive-like behavior induced by early adverse stress / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the effect of postweaning enriched environment and citalopram treatment during juvenility on the behaviour of male rats exposed to early adverse stress. Methods The newborn pups were randomly divided into maternal separation group (MS) and non-maternal separation group (NMS). Offspring were weaned on PND22 and housed in same-rearing groups under either standard or enriched conditions or citalopram treatment until adulthood. All of them were examined by sucrose consumption test, forced swimming test (FST) and morris water maze test (MWZ). Results (1) MS had significantly less consumption of sucrose intake (ml/g)(0.013 ±0.006, n = 10), compared with the following five groups (MS + EE (0.023 ±0.012, n = 8); MS + Drug (0.027 ±0.012, n = 9); NMS (0.022 ± 0. 007, n=11);NMS + EE (0.023 ±0.007, n = 7); NMS + Drug (0.032 ±0.011),n=7)), NMS + Drug had significantly increased the radio of sucrose consumption on NMS group. (2)The immobility in FST were longer in MS-experienced groups (MS (140. 19 ± 37.01) s, n = 8); MS + EE (129.41 ±29.50)s, n = 6) ;NMS + Drug (128.83 ±26. 11)s, n = 6)) than three non-MS groups (NMS (96.28 ±35.63)s,n = 7); NMS + EE (94.17 ±24. 87)s, n = 6) ;NMS + Drug (93.00 ±34. 21)s, n = 6)). (3) MS had shorter time and shorter percentage of distance spent in target quadrant in MWZ,citalopram treatment markedly improved spatial memory on NMS group. Conclusion Maternal separation applied in newborn rats induces a broad spectrum of behavioral changes reminiscent of depressive symptoms in humans, which might be reversed to some extent by EE and antidepressant in young adults.

Effects of maternal rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress before pregnancy on the behaviors and brain monamine of their adult male offspring / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To examine the effects of maternal rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress before pregnancy on the behaviors and brain monamine of their adult male offspring.Methods Sixteen SD rats were divided into chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) group and controls.CUS rats were exposed to 21 days chronic unpredictable stressors ,and the controls were stress-free.Ten days after the last stressor, all the female rats were caged with sexually experienced males of the same strain.Then we performed the following experiments on the two months male progeny, sucrose consumption measuring anhedonia, Morris water maze measuring cognitive function and high performance liquid chromatography detecting the contents of monoamine.Results The sucrose consumption showed that both sucrose intake and sucrose consumption percentage of the control progeny were higher than those of the CUS progeny ( sucrose consumption: ( 10.23 ± 4.12 ) g vs ( 6.48 ± 3.19 ) g; sucrose consumption percentage: ( 85.43 ± 20.15 ) % vs (60.98 ± 24.65 ) % ) (P ＜ 0.05 ).The number of times crossing the removed hidden platform in the CUS progeny ( 1.64 ± 1.69) was significantly fewer than that in the control progeny (4.17±2.29 ) in Morris water maze (P ＜ 0.05 ).The contents of serotonin in the hypothalamus of CUS progeny ( ( 500.17 ± 80.94 ) ng/g tissue) was lower than that of the control progeny ( ( 569.63 ± 50.91 ) ng/g tissue) (P ＜0.05) ,while the norepinephrine in the hippocampus of CUS progeny( (2315.01 ± 1397.12) ng/g tissue) was higher than that of the control progeny( (907.56 ± 207.27) ng/g tissue) (P＜0.05) by high performance liquid chromatography.Conclusions Depression or stressful events before pregnancy of dams result in anhedonia, decreased spatial memory and abnormalities in brain monoamine of their adult male progeny.