Effect of exercise training on passive stiffness in locomotor skeletal muscle: role of extracellular matrix

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of endurance exercise training on both locomotor skeletal muscle collagen characteristics and passive stiffness properties in the young adult and old rat. Young (3-mo-old) and senescent (23-mo-old) male Fischer 344 rats were randomly assigned to either a control or exercise training group [young control (YC), old control (OC), young trained (YT), old trained (OT)]. Exercise training consisted of treadmill running at approximately 70% of maximal oxygen consumption (45 min/day, 5 days/wk, for 10 wk). Passive stiffness (stress/strain) of the soleus (Sol) muscle from all four groups was subsequently measured in vitro at 26 degreesC. Stiffness was significantly greater for Sol muscles in OC rats compared with YC rats, but in OT rats exercise training resulted in muscles with stiffness characteristics not different from those in YC rats. Sol muscle collagen concentration and the level of the nonreducible collagen cross-link hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP) significantly increased from young adulthood to senescence. Although training had no effect on Sol muscle collagen concentration in either age group, it resulted in a significant reduction in the level of Sol muscle HP in OT rats. In contrast, exercise had no effect on HP in the YT animals. These findings indicate that 10 wk of endurance exercise significantly alter the passive viscoelastic properties of Sol muscle in old but not in young adult rats. The coincidental reduction in the principal collagen cross-link HP also observed in response to training in OT muscle highlights the potential role of collagen in influencing passive muscle viscoelastic properties.     

An essential role for gamma interferon in innate resistance to Shigella flexneri infection

The purpose of this experiment was to study endurance performance and substrate storage and utilization in fat- or carbohydrate-fed rats. Ninety-nine rats were randomly divided into three groups and over 4 wk were fed either a carbohydrate-rich [CHO; 10% total energy content in the diet (E%) fat, 20 E% protein, 70 E% carbohydrate] diet or one of two fat-rich diets (65 E% fat, 20 E% protein, 15 E% carbohydrate) containing either saturated (Sat) or monounsaturated fatty acids (Mono). Each dietary group was randomly assigned to a trained (6 days/wk, progressive to 60 min, 28 m/min at a 10% incline) or a sedentary group. Rats were killed either before or after a treadmill endurance run to exhaustion. Training increased endurance (206%), but diet composition did not affect endurance in either trained or sedentary rats. beta-Hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity was increased in fat-fed but not carbohydrate-fed rats (P < 0.05). Respiratory exchange ratio during the initial phase of exercise was lower after the Mono compared with the Sat diet (P < 0. 05) and higher after the CHO than the Sat diet (P < 0.05). Thus adaptation to a high-fat diet containing a moderate amount of carbohydrates did not induce enhanced endurance in either trained or untrained rats; however, substrate utilization was modulated by both amount and type of dietary fat during the initial stage of exercise in trained and sedentary rats.     

Ambient temperature effects on thermoregulation and endurance in anticholinesterase-treated rats

In sedentary animals, physostigmine (PH) administration resulted in a decreased core temperature that is ambient temperature (Ta) dependent. PH administration in rats exercising on a treadmill (26 degrees C, 50% rh, 11m/min, 6 degrees incline) decremented endurance and increased rate of rise of core temperature (heating rate, HR). This study was undertaken to examine the effects of Ta on the endurance and thermoregulatory decrements of PH-treated running rats. Adult male rats (510-530g) were given either 0.2ml saline (C) or 100 ug/kg physostigmine salicylate in 0.2 ml saline via tail vein 15 min prior to the start of running to exhaustion at 10, 15, 26, or 30 degrees C. In both C- and PH-treated groups, endurance decreased and HR increased with increasing Ta from 15 to 30 degrees C. At 15 and 26 degrees C the C rats ran significantly (p < .05) longer and had significantly lower HR than the PH rats: C15 = 90 +/- 8 min, 0.022 +/- 0.006 degrees C/min; C26 = 67 +/- 6, 0.051 +/- 0.007; PH15 = 57 +/- 5, 0.052 +/- 0.008; and PH26 = 43 +/- 6, 0.092 +/- 0.007. At 10 and 30 degrees C there were no significant differences between C and PH-treated rats. A Ta of 30 degrees C was too high for effective cooling in either group, and at 10 degrees C both groups were able to dissipate heat despite the increased metabolic rate of the PH-treated rats. The PH-treated rat model of cholinergic drug effect is useful at a Ta of 15 and 26 degrees C.     

Exercise training prevents maturation-induced decrease in insulin sensitivity

We examined the effects of exercise training initiated before maturation or after maturation on insulin sensitivity and glucose transporter GLUT-4 content in membrane fractions of skeletal muscle. Female Wistar rats (4 wk of age) were divided into sedentary and exercise-trained groups. At 12 wk of age, a subset of the trained animals (Tr) was killed along with a subset of sedentary controls (Sed). One-half of the remaining sedentary animals remained sedentary (Sed-Sed) while the other half began exercise training (Sed-Tr). The remaining rats in the original trained group continued to train (Tr-Tr). Euglycemic clamp (insulin infusion rate at 6 mU.kg body wt-1. min-1) was performed at 4, 12, and 27 wk. After euglycemic clamp in all animals except the 4-wk-old, hindlimb (gastrocnemius and part of quadriceps) muscles were removed for preparation of membrane fractions. In sedentary rats, glucose infusion rate (GIR) during euglycemic clamp was decreased from 15.9 mg.kg-1.min-1 at 4 wk of age to 9.8 mg.kg-1.min-1 at 12 wk of age and 9.1 mg.kg-1.min-1 at 27 wk of age. In exercise-trained rats, the GIR was not significantly decreased by maturation (at 12 wk) and further aging (at 27 wk). Initiation of exercise after maturation restored the GIR at 27 wk of age to the same levels as these for the corresponding exercise-trained rats. GLUT-4 content in plasma and intracellular membrane fractions of hindlimb muscle obtained just after euglycemic clamp showed the same trend as the results of GIR. These results suggest that exercise training prevented the maturation-induced decrease in insulin sensitivity. Improvement of insulin sensitivity caused by exercise training was attributed, at least in part, to the increase in insulin-sensitive GLUT-4 on the plasma membrane in skeletal muscle.     

Endurance training improves the resistance of rat diaphragm to exercise-induced oxidative stress

The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that endurance training improves the ability of the diaphragm muscle to resist exercise-induced oxidative stress. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were assigned to either untrained or trained groups. Trained rats were treadmill-trained for 9 wk. Each group was subdivided into acutely exercised or nonexercised groups. Diaphragm muscle from each rat was analyzed to determine the levels of certain antioxidant enzymes: Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase, and catalase. In addition, interleukin-1 and myeloperoxidase levels were determined. Endurance training upregulated all of the antioxidant enzymes. Conversely, acute exercise increased glutathione peroxidase and catalase in untrained rats, while it had no overt effect on any antioxidant enzymes in trained rats. Both Mn-SOD and Cu,Zn-SOD contents and activities were increased with endurance training. However, the mRNA expressions of both forms of SOD did not show any significant change with endurance training. Acute exercise also increased the levels of interleukin-1 and myeloperoxidase in untrained rats but not in trained rats. Moreover, acute exercise significantly increased the ability of neutrophils to produce superoxide, especially in untrained rats. The results from this study demonstrate that endurance training can upregulate certain antioxidant enzyme activities in rat diaphragm muscle, indicating the potential for improvement of the resistance to intracellular reactive oxygen species. The results of this study also suggest that acute exercise may cause oxidative damage in rat diaphragm through the activation of the inflammatory pathway and that endurance training may minimize such an extracellular oxidative stress by acute exercise.     

Skeletal muscle biochemical adaptations to exercise training in miniature swine

The primary purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that endurance exercise training induces increased oxidative capacity in porcine skeletal muscle. To test this hypothesis, female miniature swine were either trained by treadmill running 5 days/wk over 16-20 wk (Trn; n = 35) or pen confined (Sed; n = 33). Myocardial hypertrophy, lower heart rates during submaximal stages of a maximal treadmill running test, and increased running time to exhaustion during that test were indicative of training efficacy. A variety of skeletal muscles were sampled and subsequently assayed for the enzymes citrate synthase (CS), 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and lactate dehydrogenase and for antioxidant enzymes. Fiber type composition of a representative muscle was also determined histochemically. The largest increase in CS activity (62%) was found in the gluteus maximus muscle (Sed, 14.7 +/- 1.1 mumol.min-1.g-1; Trn, 23.9 +/- 1.0; P < 0.0005). Muscles exhibiting increased CS activity, however, were located primarily in the forelimb; ankle and knee extensor and respiratory muscles were unchanged with training. Only two muscles exhibited higher 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity in Trn compared with Sed. Lactate dehydrogenase activity was unchanged with training, as were activities of antioxidant enzymes. Histochemical analysis of the triceps brachii muscle (long head) revealed lower type IIB fiber numbers in Trn (Sed, 42 +/- 6%; Trn, 10 +/- 4; P < 0.01) and greater type IID/X fiber numbers (Sed, 11 +/- 2; Trn, 22 +/- 3; P < 0.025). These findings indicate that porcine skeletal muscle adapts to endurance exercise training in a manner similar to muscle of humans and other animal models, with increased oxidative capacity. Specific muscles exhibiting these adaptations, however, differ between the miniature swine and other species.     

Effects of endurance training on gene expression of insulin signal transduction pathway

Alternative splicing of insulin receptor mRNA and gene expression of insulin receptor, IRS-1 and MAP kinase isoforms were examined in skeletal muscle of trained and sedentary rats. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained for 9 weeks on a treadmill: 30 m/min at 6 degrees incline, 90 min/day, 5 days/week. Endurance training increased insulin receptor mRNA level without change in alternative splicing of insulin receptor mRNA in skeletal muscle. The levels of IRS-1 and MAP kinase (ERKI) mRNA were significantly higher in trained rats than sedentary rats. Our findings provide the first evidence that gene expression of insulin receptor and postreceptor signal transduction pathway is enhanced by endurance training, without affecting alternative splicing of insulin receptor isoforms.     

Effect of endurance exercise training on muscle glycogen supercompensation in rats

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the rate and extent of glycogen supercompensation in skeletal muscle are increased by endurance exercise training. Rats were trained by using a 5-wk-long swimming program in which the duration of swimming was gradually increased to 6 h/day over 3 wk and then maintained at 6 h/day for an additional 2 wk. Glycogen repletion was measured in trained and untrained rats after a glycogen-depleting bout of exercise. The rats were given a rodent chow diet plus 5% sucrose in their drinking water and libitum during the recovery period. There were remarkable differences in both the rates of glycogen accumulation and the glycogen concentrations attained in the two groups. The concentration of glycogen in epitrochlearis muscle averaged 13.1 +/- 0.9 mg/g wet wt in the untrained group and 31.7 +/- 2.7 mg/g in the trained group (P < 0.001) 24 h after the exercise. This difference could not be explained by a training effect on glycogen synthase. The training induced approximately 50% increases in muscle GLUT-4 glucose transporter protein and in hexokinase activity in epitrochlearis muscles. We conclude that endurance exercise training results in increases in both the rate and magnitude of muscle glycogen supercompensation in rats.     

Effects of an anabolic steroid and sprint training on selected histochemical and morphological observations in rat skeletal muscle types

The effects on selected histochemical and morphological parameters of anabolic steroid administration and of high-intensity sprint running, separately, and in combination, were studied in young adult male rats. Dianabol (methandrostenolone) 1 mg/day for 8 weeks had no significant effects on phosphorylase or glycogen staining intensities and on fiber area in skeletal muscles of either trained or sedentary animals. The program of sprint training resulted in significantly decreased intensities of phosphorylase in all ten regions of the gastrocnemius, plantaris, and soleus muscles that were studied. Glycogen localization was significantly increased with training in five regions of the gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles which contained predominantly fast-switch fibers. No changes in fiber area occurred with the training program. We conclude from these results that (a) normal androgen levels in young, healthy male animals are sufficiently high so that the intake of large doses of anabolic steroid does not result in the stimulation of glycogen metabolism or hypertrophy of skeletal muscle; (b) the changes induced by high-intensity, short-duration sprint training suggest that the existing glycolytic capacity of muscle is adequate to supply the muscles energy needs even during the stress of very strenous exercise, and that more fast-twitch fibers were recruited by the exercise regimen than slow-twitch fibers.     

Influence of aging and endurance training on lactate dehydrogenase in liver and skeletal muscle

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of aging and endurance training on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and isozyme pattern in liver and skeletal muscle. Male Fischer 344 rats (n = 30) of three different age groups (young, 4 months; middle-aged, 12 months and old, 22 months) were trained on a treadmill at 75% running capacity for 1 h/day, five times per week for 10 weeks. Age-matched sedentary controls (n = 36) were used for comparison. Total LDH enzyme activity was measured spectrophotometrically; LDH isozymes were separated by native 5.5% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and quantified densitometrically. With increasing age, hepatic LDH activity decreased 28%. Old sedentary animals displayed significantly less (22%) hepatic LDH 5 than young and middle-aged animals, and significantly more (40%) hepatic LDH 4 than middle-aged animals. Training resulted in a significant decrease (38%) in total hepatic LDH activity in young rats only. Young animals displayed a significant increase in hepatic LDH 3 (28%), whereas middle-aged animals exhibited a significant decrease in hepatic LDH 3 (40%) with training. No change in total hepatic LDH activity was exhibited in middle-aged or old rats with training. Neither aging or training had a significant effect on LDH activity or isozyme pattern in extensor digitorum longus (EDL). Similarly, LDH activity was maintained in soleus with age, and isozyme pattern was only negligibly affected. We conclude that with age there is a decline in hepatic LDH activity and a decrease in the LDH 5 isozyme. Endurance training induced significant decreases in hepatic LDH activity of young animals. However, these decreases were not a result of shifts in isozymal pattern. Further, LDH activity was maintained in EDL and soleus muscle with age. Finally, endurance training did not have a significant effect on LDH activity or isozymal pattern of EDL or soleus.     

Myosin heavy chain composition in young and old rat skeletal muscle: effects of endurance exercise

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of age and exercise on the myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition of skeletal muscle. Young (3 mo) and old (22 mo) female specific pathogen-free barrier-reared Fischer 344 rats were randomly assigned to young untrained or young trained and old untrained or old trained groups, respectively. Young trained and old trained animals performed endurance exercise training on a motorized treadmill for 8 wk. Succinate dehydrogenase activity and MHC isoforms were measured in the plantaris (Plan), lateral and medial gastrocnemius (Gast), and soleus (Sol) muscles. In sedentary animals, aging resulted in a decrease (P < 0.05) in type IIb MHC and an increase (P < 0.05) in type IIa MHC in both the Gast and Plan muscles. Also, aging resulted in a small but significant increase (approximately 4%; P < 0.05) in type I MHC in the Sol. Exercise training resulted in significant (P < 0.05) increases in Gast, Plan, and Sol succinate dehydrogenase activity in both young and old animals. Furthermore, exercise training resulted in a decrease (P < 0.05) in the percentage of type IIb MHC and an increase (P < 0.05) in the percentage of type IIa MHC in the Plan in both young and old animals. These data suggest that there is an age-related shift in locomotor muscle MHC isoforms from a faster to a slower isoform.     

Interpreting the effects of exercise on fear conditioning: The influence of time of day.

Previous studies indicate that physical exercise improves contextual fear memory, as evidenced by increased freezing behavior when rats are returned to a training environment that was initially paired with footshock. However, freezing behavior could also be affected by fatigue, especially because rats were tested shortly after the end of the dark cycle, which is when most wheel running was likely to occur. In addition, exercise has been shown to have anxiolytic effects, further confounding interpretation of the effects of exercise on cognition when using aversive conditioning tasks. These factors were examined in the present study by comparing freezing behavior in exercising and nonexercising rats that were tested at different times in the light cycle. In addition, all rats were tested on an elevated plus maze to assess anxiety-like behavior and in an open-field apparatus to measure locomotor activity in order to directly examine interactions between freezing, anxiety-like behavior, and locomotion. Consistent with prior studies, exercising rats exhibited more context freezing than did sedentary rats when tested early in the light cycle. However, the opposite pattern of results was obtained when testing occurred late in the light cycle, an effect driven by a difference in the amount of freezing exhibited by the sedentary control groups. Indeed, the levels of context freezing exhibited by exercising rats were comparable regardless of when the rats were tested during the light cycle. These data have implications for interpreting the effects of exercise on aversive conditioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pre-exercise branched-chain amino acid administration increases endurance performance in rats

This study investigated the effects of pre-exercise branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) administration on blood ammonia levels and on time to exhaustion during treadmill exercise in rats. Adult female Wistar rats were trained on a motor driven treadmill. After a 24-h fast, rats were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 1 mL of placebo or BCAA (30 mg), 5 min before performing 30 min of submaximal exercise (N = 18) or running to exhaustion (N = 12). In both cases, rats were sacrificed immediately following exercise, and blood was collected for the measurement of glucose, nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA), lactic acid, BCAA, ammonia, and free-tryptophan (free-TRP) levels. Control values were obtained from sedentary rats that were subjected to identical treatments and procedures (N = 30). Plasma BCAA levels increased threefold within 5 min after BCAA administration. Mean run time to exhaustion was significantly longer (P < 0.01) after BCAA administration (99 +/- 9 min) compared with placebo (76 +/- 4 min). During exercise, blood ammonia levels were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the BCAA treated compared with those in the placebo treated rats both in the 30-min exercise bout (113 +/- 25 mumol.L-1 (BCAA) vs 89 +/- 16 mumol.L-1) and following exercise to exhaustion (186 +/- 44 mumol.L-1 (BCAA) vs 123 +/- 19 mumol.L-1). These data demonstrate that BCAA administration in rats results in enhanced endurance performance and an increase in blood ammonia during exercise.     

Fish biliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites estimated by fixed-wavelength fluorescence: comparison with HPLC-fluorescent detection

There is an increasing tendency for young children to participate in training and competitive running. The impact long-term training has upon stimulating functional physiological adaptation has yet to be fully understood. In this study cardio-respiratory and kinematic differences were assessed at submaximal and maximal exercise intensities in run-trained and non-run-trained boys. Thirty three pre-pubertal boys volunteered to take part in the study. The subjects were in two groups: 15 run-trained subjects [age 11.7 +/- 1.06 yrs, mean +/- SD] and 18 non-run-trained (control) subjects [age 11.3 +/- 0.90 yrs]. Two separate (4 x 3 min) submaximal protocols were used for the trained and non-run-trained groups, with two of the speeds overlapping for comparison purposes. In addition, all boys also performed a maximal oxygen consumption test. Mean VO2max value for the run trained group was 60.5 +/- 3.3 ml/kg/min and for the control group 51.1 +/- 4.3 ml/kg/min, (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found for submaximal running economy at either comparison speed. In addition, no significant (p > 0.05) differences were noted between the groups for any of the kinematic variables at the two comparison speeds. However, selected physiological differences did exist at the submaximal running speeds. The source of the differences that did exist between the two groups may be the result of training, genetic pre-selection or developmental differences between the groups.     

Exercise training restores decreased cellular immune functions in obese Zucker rats

This study investigated whether exercise training had a beneficial effect on the decreased mitogen response and improved a decreased expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) in splenocytes from obese Zucker rats. Experimental groups were lean and sedentary and exercise-trained obese Zucker rats. Exercise training, running on a motor-driven treadmill for 5 days/wk for 40 wk, did not induce a significant decrease in body weight in obese Zucker rats. The plasma insulin concentration, showing a significant increase compared with lean Zucker rats, was unaffected by exercise training. However, the plasma triglyceride concentration in obese Zucker rats was significantly depressed by exercise training, whereas it was still higher than that in lean Zucker rats. In addition, natural killer cell activity and concanavalin A-induced mitogenesis of splenic lymphocytes of obese Zucker rats were significantly restored. In these splenic lymphocytes, glucose uptake was significantly lower compared with that in lean Zucker rats, which was also improved by exercise training. Although the expression of GLUT-1, the major glucose transporter in immune cells, was depressed in splenic lymphocytes of obese Zucker rats, exercise training induced a significant improvement. These results suggest that exercise training has a beneficial effect on the decreased cellular immune functions in obese Zucker rats, which is associated, in part, with the improvement in GLUT-1 expression.     

The reward value of light increment under supranormal and subnormal arousal.

2 Experiments, with 80 male Wistar rats each, studied the effects of methamphetamine and pentobarbital, respectively, on the reward value of light increment, alternating training days with test days to separate learning effects from performance effects. During the 1st wk. of Exp. I, if injected on training days with saline solution, Ss trained with light increment performed more responses on test days than Ss trained without light increment but, if injected with methamphetamine, Ss trained with light increment performed fewer responses. During the 2nd wk., training with light increment became relatively more effective for those trained under 2 or 3 mg/kg of methamphetamine but less effective in Ss with 0 or 1 mg/kg. In Exp. II, the difference in number of test-day responses between Ss trained with and without light increment decreased when pentobarbital injections (5, 10, 15, or 20 mg/kg) were administered on training days. In both experiments, more responses were performed on training days by Ss receiving light increments, and the number of responses varied inversely with doses of drugs. Results complement previous findings and indicating that the reward value of an indifferent stimulus depends on an interaction between the arousal value of the stimulus and arousal level of the organism. (French summary) (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Forming an ethics committee in an intensive care unit. A personal perspective

Forty 6-wk-old male Wistar rats weighing 308 +/- 24 g were divided into two groups. On day 0, the 20 animals in one group were surgically castrated and the other group was sham operated. Within each group, 10 rats were selected for treadmill running (60% maximal O2 consumption, 1 h/day, 6 days/wk for 15 wk). The 20 sedentary rats were used as controls. At the time the rats were killed (day 105), running had no significant effect on femoral mechanical properties either in castrated or in sham-operated rats. Femoral bone density was lower in orchidectomized than in sham-operated rats. Nevertheless, it was higher in exercised than in sedentary rats. Femoral Ca content paralleled changes in bone density. Treadmill running had no significant effect on plasma osteocalcin concentration but inhibited the increase in urinary deoxypyridinoline excretion observed in castrated rats. Image analysis (measured at the distal femoral diaphysis) revealed that these effects mainly resulted from decreased trabecular bone resorption in castrated exercised rats.     

Differential responses to endurance training in subsarcolemmal and intermyofibrillar mitochondria

To examine the effect of endurance training (6 wk of treadmill running) on regional mitochondrial adaptations within skeletal muscle, subsarcolemmal (SS) and intermyofibrillar (IMF) mitochondria were isolated from trained and control rat hindlimb muscles. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured polarographically by using the following substrates: 1 mM pyruvate + 1 mM malate (P+M), 10 mM 2-oxoglutarate, 45 microM palmitoyl-DL-carnitine + 1 mM malate, and 10 mM glutamate. Spectrophotometric assays of cytochrome-c reductase and NAD-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) activity were also performed. Maximal (state III) and resting (state IV) VO2 were lower in SS than in IMF mitochondria in both trained and control groups. In SS mitochondria, training elicited significant 36 and 20% increases in state III VO2 with P+M and glutamate, respectively. In IMF mitochondria, training resulted in a smaller (20%), yet significant, increase in state III VO2 with P+M as a substrate, whereas state III VO2 increased 33 and 27% with 2-oxoglutarate and palmitoyl-DL-carnitine + malate, respectively. Within groups, cytochrome-c reductase and IDH activities were lower in SS when compared with IMF mitochondria. Training increased succinate-cytochrome-c reductase in both SS (30%) and IMF mitochondria (28%). IDH activity increased 32% in the trained IMF but remained unchanged in SS mitochondria. We conclude that endurance training promotes substantial changes in protein stoichiometry and composition of both SS and IMF mitochondria.     

Effects of age and exercise training on size and composition of the rat left main coronary artery

This study evaluated the effects of age and exercise training on the left main coronary artery (LMCA) in young (Y-5 months) and old (O-27.5 months) female Fischer 344 rats. Both age groups were divided into trained (T) and weight-matched sedentary (S) control groups. Training consisted of 10 weeks of treadmill running progressing to a maximum workload of 15% grade, 1 hr/day, 5 d/wk at speeds of 36 and 15 m/min for the Y and O rats, respectively. Aging resulted in a 40% increase in left ventricle (LV) weight which was proportional to the increased body weight of the old animals. Exercise training produced a mild (approximately 10%) but significant left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in both trained groups. Cross-sectional area of the LMCA lumen and wall, wall thickness, and areas of collagen (C), elastin (E), and collagen-to-elastin ratio (C/E) of the LMCA wall were determined morphometrically in all four groups. A method for pinpointing the coronary ostium for use as a reference point was also developed. LMCA lumen area almost doubled (p < .001) across the measured age difference, but was unaffected by training. With aging, the increase in LMCA wall area bordered on significance (p < .053), while wall thickness, C area, and the C/E ratio were unchanged. Our results indicate that there is a disproportionate increase in the cross-sectional area of the rat LMCA with respect to LV mass changes with aging. This finding presumably reflects adaptation of this vessel to elevated resistances further downstream in the coronary circulation so that tissue perfusion can be maintained.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Hypertrophy of rat plantaris muscle fibers after voluntary running with increasing loads

There have been no systematic comparisons of skeletal muscle adaptations in response to voluntary wheel running under controlled loading conditions. To accomplish this, a voluntary running wheel for rats and mice was developed in which a known load can be controlled and monitored electronically. Five-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats (10 rats/group) were assigned randomly to either a 1) sedentary control group (Control); 2) voluntary exercised with no load (Run-No-Load) group; or 3) voluntary exercised with additional load (Run-Load) group for 8 wk. The load for the Run-Load group was progressively increased to reach approximately 60% of body weight during the last week of training. The proportions of fast glycolytic (FG), fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG), or slow oxidative (SO) fibers in the plantaris were similar in all groups. The absolute and relative plantaris weights were greater in the Run-Load group compared with the Control and Run-No-Load groups. The mean fiber cross-sectional areas of FG, FOG, and SO fibers were 20, 25, and 15% greater in the Run-Load than in Control rats. In addition, these fiber types were 16, 21, and 12% larger in Run-Load than in Run-No-Load rats. The muscle weights and mean cross-sectional areas of each fiber type were highly correlated with the average running distances and total work performed in the Run-Load, but not the Run-No-Load, group. The slope of the relationship between fiber size and running distance and total work performed was significant for each fiber type but was higher for FG and FOG fibers compared with SO fibers. These data show that the load on a rat running voluntarily can determine the magnitude of a hypertrophic response and the population of motor units that are recruited to perform at a given loading condition.