ABSTRACT

exposure to chronic stress is an important factor of neurodegeneration. Forced swimming test is a common model for chronic stress which needs validation in terms of duration of exposure and correlation of behavioural, histological and anti-oxidant status. Adult wistar albino rats (150-200 g) of both sexes were divided into two groups. Group I treated as control and Group II animals were subjected to forced swimming test for 30 minutes daily. On different days (0, 3,7,15 and 30) effect on behavioural, histological and anti-oxidant status was evaluated. Swimming stress of 30 minutes daily for 15 days significantly (p<0.05) decreased the time of fall in rotarod, locomotor activity in actophotometer, number of correct entries in radial maze, superoxide dismutase (SOD) level and significantly (p<0.05) increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content along with prominent tissue degeneration in brain, heart, liver and kidney. The present study reveals that 30 minutes exposure to forced swimming for 15 days can be a novel model of chronic stress as it results in significant alterations in behavioural, histological and antioxidant status.