Effects of exercise on behavioral sensitivity to carbamate cholinesterase inhibitors

The interaction between exercise and drug response has not been studied extensively. The present study examined the relationship between both acute (15 minute) and chronic (10 week) treadmill exercise and behavioral response to the carbamates physostigmine and pyridostigmine. Rats trained on an operant task under a multi-component FR30 schedule were used to evaluate the interaction between exercise and performance following drug administration. The direct effects of both 10 weeks of exercise conditioning and a moderate exercise challenge, as well as the interaction between two were assessed. Results obtained with physostigmine show that acute exercise increased behavioral sensitivity. Chronic exercise resulted in behavioral tolerance. These results are consistent with previously reported studies of centrally acting compounds. In contrast, pyridostigmine, which has little or no central activity, produced no behavioral changes. This result was constant over exercise conditions.