Swimming increases c-Fos expression in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray and nucleus raphe magnus of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder and leads to many complications including neuropathic pain. The c-Fos expression is known to represent neuronal activity. Exercise has been recommended as a therapeutic maneuver for the diabetic patients to prevent secondary complications. In the present study, we investigated the effect of swimming on neuronal activity in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by using c-Fos immunohistochemistry. The present results showed that c-Fos expression was suppressed by diabetes, while swimming alleviated diabetes-induced suppression on c-Fos expression in the vlPAG and NRM of rats. Here in this study, we have shown the possibility that swimming can be used as a therapeutic intervention for pain following diabetic neuropathy.