Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 79, Issues 1–2, 18 August 1987, Pages 138-144
Neuroscience Letters

Endurance training effects on striatal D2 dopamine receptor binding and striatal dopamine metabolite levels

https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(87)90686-0Get rights and content

Abstract

We have previously shown that endurance training is associated with higher binding of [3H]spiperone to striatal D2 dopamine (DA) receptors of presenescent (21 months old) rats. In the present study we investigated the effects of 6 months of endurance training of young adults on the relationship between steady-state levels of DA and its metabolites in striatum and the affinity and density of striatal D2 DA receptors. The extent of training was confirmed by evaluating the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) in the subjects. D2 DA binding was significantly increased at each of 3 [3H]spiperone concentrations in the young runners. A ‘synaptic coupling ratio’ calculated as the specific DA binding/DOPAC concentration was significantly increased in runners for the 0.1 and 0.4 nM radioligand concentrations. Across experimental groups levels of DA were highly and positively correlated with specific DA binding at the 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 nM [3H]spiperone concentrations. Together, these results suggest that exercise can alter the number of DA binding sites and the metabolism of DA in young adult animals.

Cited by (81)

  • Effectiveness of an Integrated Intervention Program for Alcoholism (IIPA)for enhancing self-regulation: Preliminary evidence

    2019, Asian Journal of Psychiatry
    Citation Excerpt :

    Exercise activates the same reward pathways which are involved in drug addiction. It increases dopamine concentration and dopamine receptor binding (MacRae et al., 1987; Greenwood et al., 2011) and decreases glutamate in the striatum which may protect against overstimulation of glutamatergic receptor in case of chronic drug abuse (Guezennec et al., 1998). Exercise may also influence the brain plasticity through chromatin remodelling at regions implicated in drug addiction (Gomez-Pinilla et al., 2011; Kumar et al., 2005; Wan et al., 2011).

  • Exercise training reduces alcohol consumption but does not affect HPA-axis activity in heavy drinkers

    2017, Physiology and Behavior
    Citation Excerpt :

    It has been proposed that since dopaminergic reinforcement mechanisms in the neural system are activated by both alcohol and exercise, alcohol consumption and exercise may produce similar pleasurable effects [50,51], rending exercise a useful tool for the prevention and treatment of AUDs. Although previous ET interventions in animal models have reported sustained increases in the number of dopamine receptors in the striatum [52,53], no change in plasma dopamine levels after 8 weeks of ET intervention in heavy drinkers was found in the present study. This finding could be explained by the fact that plasma dopamine levels may not reflect the quantity of dopamine receptors in the brain or the lower exposure to alcohol of heavy drinkers compared to alcoholics.

View all citing articles on Scopus

Present address: Dept. of Sports Medicine, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA 90265, U.S.A.

∗∗

Present address: Washington University, School of Medicine, Dept. of Internal Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, U.S.A.

View full text