Dopamine stimulation of the septum enhances exercise efficiency during complicated treadmill running in mice

• Published in: The journal of physiological sciences 2019-11, Vol.69 (6), p.1019-1028
• Main Authors: Shiuchi, Tetsuya, Masuda, Takuya, Shimizu, Noriyuki, Chikahisa, Sachiko, Séi, Hiroyoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Benzazepines - pharmacology; Biomarkers; Brain; c-Fos protein; Dopamine; Dopamine - pharmacology; Dopamine Antagonists - pharmacology; Dopamine receptors; Dopamine turnover; Efficiency; Exercise efficiency; Exercise equipment; Exercise training; Experiments; Fitness equipment; Fitness training programs; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Genes, fos - physiology; Laboratories; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Motor ability; Neurotransmitters; Original Paper; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Oxygen uptake; Phenols; Physical Conditioning, Animal - physiology; Physical training; Physiology; Receptors, Dopamine D1 - antagonists & inhibitors; Running; Septum; Septum of Brain - drug effects; Serotonin - metabolism; Sulpiride - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1880-6546; 1880-6562
• DOI: 10.1007/s12576-019-00722-4

We aimed to identify the neurotransmitters and brain regions involved in exercise efficiency in mice during continuous complicated exercises. Male C57BL/6J mice practiced treadmill running with intermittent obstacles on a treadmill for 8 days. Oxygen uptake (VO2) during treadmill running was measured as exercise efficiency. After obstacle exercise training, the VO2 measured during treadmill running with obstacles decreased significantly. Obstacle exercise-induced c-Fos expressions and dopamine turnover (DOPAC/dopamine) in the septum after obstacle exercise training were significantly higher than that before training. The dopamine turnover was correlated with exercise efficiency on the 3rd day after exercise training. Furthermore, the training effect on exercise efficiency was significantly decreased by injection of dopamine receptor antagonists into the septum and was associated with decreased c-Fos expressions in the septum and hippocampus of the mice. These results suggest that dopaminergic function in the septum is involved in exercise efficiency during continuous complicated exercises.