ISSN:
1439-6327
Keywords:
Rat
;
Left ventricle
;
Training
;
Metoprolol
;
Propranolol
;
Capillary density
;
Myocyte
;
Atrophy
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary The study was designed to evaluate the effects of eight weeks of exercise training or training-β-adrenergic blockade combination on gross and microscopic alterations of rat cardiac muscle and microvascular bed. Rats were randomly assigned to either sedentary control (C), trained (T), metoprolol-trained (MT), or propranolol-trained (pT) groups. The training protocol involved treadmill running for 8 weeks at 0.5 m s−1, 20% grade. Earlier experiments by us showed this training protocol to be effective in producing significant changes in selected skeletal muscle enzyme activities in all trained groups. In the current study an absolute reduction in left ventricular (LV) weight was observed in the PT compared to the C group (0.91±0.02 vs. 1.04±0.04 g,P〈0.05). LV weight in the T and MT groups was no different from C so that LV to BW ratio (mg·g−1) was significantly increased (P〈0.05) due to a similar reduction in body weight (BW) in all three training groups. Morphometric analysis of LV myocardium revealed no significant differences in myocyte mean cross-sectional area (μm2) in any of the groups (289±16-C, 332±20-T, 281±44-MT, and 273±12-PT). Capillary density independently calculated by light and electron microscopy was unchanged by training or trainings-blockade combination. It was concluded that training of sufficient intensity and duration to produce skeletal muscle enzyme adaptations does not necessarily produce myocyte hypertrophy or alter LV capillarity. Additionally functioningβ-adrenergic receptors appear to play a role in both the central and peripheral adaptations to endurance exercise training.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01075987
