[Attenuation of chronic stress-induced hippocampal damages following physical exercise].

The long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and the plasma glucocorticoids level were observed in rats to study the effects of physical exercise on chronic stress-induced hippocampal damages. Eight-week spontaneous wheel running exercise could attenuate the suppression of LTP induced by 21-day restraint stress, and maintain the normal plasma glucocorticoids levels. It is suggested that long-term physical exercise may protect the hippocampus from stress-induced damages.