Image 3_High-intensity interval training alleviates depressive-like behaviors and is associated with differences in gut microbiota composition and prefrontal LPS-associated inflammatory measures in CUMS rats.tif

Gut microbiota composition was profiled using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. LPS levels in the prefrontal cortex and ileum, and IL-1β levels in the prefrontal cortex, were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and prefrontal cortical Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and Rela (NF-κB p65/RelA) mRNA expression levels were assessed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR.</p>Results<p>CUMS induced marked depressive-like behaviors, including reduced sucrose preference and altered open field test performance.

HIIT partially attenuated these behavioral alterations. In exploratory microbiota analyses, HIIT-treated CUMS rats differed from sedentary CUMS rats in gut microbial diversity and taxonomic composition and also showed lower prefrontal cortical LPS and IL-1β levels and lower TLR4 and Rela mRNA expression. In contrast, IL-1β was higher in exercised control rats, and ileal LPS levels were lower overall in exercised rats.</p>Conclusions<p>These findings suggest that HIIT-related improvements in depression-related phenotypes were accompanied by attenuation of LPS-associated inflammatory changes in the prefrontal cortex, while exploratory microbiota analyses identified differences in gut microbiota composition.

HIIT may represent a promising exercise-based strategy for improving stress-related depressive-like phenotypes.</p>