The role of the dopaminergic system in the regulation of physical activity in mice

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Knab, A. (2009). The role of the dopaminergic system in the regulation of physical activity in mice. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

Physical activity (PA) is important to human health, and the genetic and biological regulating factors of physical activity are only beginning to be understood. The dopamine (DA) system has been shown to regulate motivation, and locomotor behavior in animals, and this research was designed to understand the dopaminergic factors important in regulating voluntary physical activity in mice. First, the repeatability of measuring exercise endurance vs. wheel running (WR) in different inbred strains of mice was investigated. It was found that WR behavior is a highly repeatable measurement, while exercise capacity measurements showed low repeatability in Balb/cJ mice. Next, expression levels of the five DA receptors, Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and the dopamine transporter (DAT) in the nucleus accumbens and striatum were studied in mice with or without wheel access in differentially active inbred strains of mice. No differences in expression levels of any DA receptors were found within strain between group, suggesting level of PA did not affect DA receptor expression. High active C57L/J mice had significantly decreased expression of Drd1 and TH compared to low active C3H/HeJ mice indicating DA receptor, and enzyme expression/function may act independently to control level of PA. Pharmacological studies showed C57L/J mice significantly decrease WR in response to a D1 agonist, and C3H/HeJ mice significantly increase WR in response to a DAT inhibitor. These results suggest genetic differences in the DA system may mediate differences in PA behavior between inbred strains of mice.

Details
Author

Knab, Amy

Title

The role of the dopaminergic system in the regulation of physical activity in mice

Physical Description

1 online resource (147 pages) : PDF

Date

2009

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) is important to human health, and the genetic and biological regulating factors of physical activity are only beginning to be understood. The dopamine (DA) system has been shown to regulate motivation, and locomotor behavior in animals, and this research was designed to understand the dopaminergic factors important in regulating voluntary physical activity in mice. First, the repeatability of measuring exercise endurance vs. wheel running (WR) in different inbred strains of mice was investigated. It was found that WR behavior is a highly repeatable measurement, while exercise capacity measurements showed low repeatability in Balb/cJ mice. Next, expression levels of the five DA receptors, Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and the dopamine transporter (DAT) in the nucleus accumbens and striatum were studied in mice with or without wheel access in differentially active inbred strains of mice. No differences in expression levels of any DA receptors were found within strain between group, suggesting level of PA did not affect DA receptor expression. High active C57L/J mice had significantly decreased expression of Drd1 and TH compared to low active C3H/HeJ mice indicating DA receptor, and enzyme expression/function may act independently to control level of PA. Pharmacological studies showed C57L/J mice significantly decrease WR in response to a D1 agonist, and C3H/HeJ mice significantly increase WR in response to a DAT inhibitor. These results suggest genetic differences in the DA system may mediate differences in PA behavior between inbred strains of mice.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Molecular biology
Genetics
Physiology

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

Dopamine
Genetic Regulation
Physical Activity
Receptor
Running Wheel

Subject Area

Biology

Advisor(s)

Lightfoot, Tim

Committee Members

Turner, Michael
Schrum, Laura
Huet, Yvette
Flood, Meredith

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2009.

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Rights Holder Information

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Identifier

Knab_uncc_0694D_10016

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:442