Regular Aerobic Voluntary Exercise Increased Oxytocin in Female Mice: Cause to Decrease Anxiety and Increase Empathy-Like Behaviors

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<0.05). Anxiety levels decreased in all the exercise groups (increased time spent in the middle area of open field test, both genders, p=0.002; increased time spent in the open arms of elevated plus maze test, females p=0.004, males p=0.0001). There was a strong negative correlation between serum oxytocin levels and door opening time of helping behavior equipment, and moderate negative correlation was found between the brain oxytocin levels and door-opening time of helping behavior equipment in females. However, there was no correlation between both the brain and serum oxytocin levels and empathy behavior in males. But there were very strong positive correlations between low anxiety indicators and both the brain and serum oxytocin levels in both the genders. Conclusion: Voluntary physical activity decreases anxiety and increases empathy-like behavior in mice; which is associated with increased oxytocin levels in female mice but not in male mice. Further research is required to investigate the mechanisms of exercise effect on anxiety and empathic brain pathways in males.

Biological Sex: A Potential Moderator of Physical Activity Efficacy on Brain Health

“…In addition to sex steroid hormones, other hormones may be involved in the sex difference in PA effects on the brain. For example, recently Yüksel et al (2019) showed that 6 weeks of voluntary running increased oxytocin levels in the brain and periphery in female mice, which correlated with increased empathy-like behavior. In male mice, oxytocin was only increased in the brain, and levels did not correlate with empathy-like behavior.…”

Association between self-reported empathy and level of physical activity in healthy young adults

“…1b and 2b). In contrast, an earlier study reported that regular exercise in healthy rodents increased "helping behavior" 9) , which is based on affective empathy 20) . The present research just assessed the relationship between self-administered physical activity and self-reported empathy; the effects of exercise interventions were not looked at.…”

“…Previous studies have reported that physical activity improves empathy in mammals, such as healthy rodents 9) and people with multiple sclerosis 10) . Furthermore, a previous report has indicated the possibility that a lack of physical activity leads to bullying in adolescents 11) .…”

Regular moderate exercise alleviates gastric oxidative damage in rats via the contribution of oxytocin receptors

“…Regular aerobic exercise, which has been reported to elevate plasma oxytocin levels in humans (Landgraf et al 1982;Irianti et al 2017), is universally acknowledged as an advantageous tool in stress reduction and for a better mood (Hamer et al 2012). Similarly, exercise training in rodents has suppressed anxiety and enhanced oxytocin levels in the blood, cardiac and brain tissues (Gutkowska et al 2007;Yüksel et al 2019), implying that the beneficial effects of exercise could involve oxytocin-mediated mechanisms. However, the role of endogenous oxytocin in the gastroprotective effects of exercise has not yet been elucidated.…”