Introduction:
There is emerging evidence in men that sustained high-intensity training promotes an adverse cardiovascular remodeling, thereby increasing the risk of atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias and coronary calcification. Whether men and women are similarly affected by high intensity exercise-induced harm is unclear. Our aim was to study sex differences in a long-term endurance training rat model.
Methods:
Male and female Wistar rats were subjected to high intensity training for 16 weeks (INT, 60min 60cm/s, male n=20, female n=15). Sedentary rats (SED, male n=20, female n=18) were used as controls. At the end of the training period, rats had an electrocardiogram and echocardiography performed. Vascular fibrosis was assessed in descending aorta, left carotid, and intramyocardial arteries (IMA), right and left atria, and left ventricle (LV) histological samples. mRNA levels of cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, oxidative stress and inflammation genes were assessed in LV samples by Real-Time PCR.
Results:
INT male rats presented lower heart rate (382±9, 340±10, SED vs INT, p<0.01) and a longer QRS duration (18.8±0.6, 22.4±1.1, SED vs INT, p<0.01), while these were not modified in the INT female group. Echocardiography showed eccentric LV hypertrophy in both trained male and female rats. High intensity exercise induced fibrosis in the descending aorta and carotid in both males and females, but IMA were only affected in trained male rats. In the heart, exercise-induced atrial fibrosis similarly occurred in both trained male and female rats. No training-induced fibrosis was evident in the LV of both INT male and female rats. Regarding LV mRNA analysis, INT males showed a reduction of desmin, TTN and N2BA/N2B ratio, whereas INT females exhibited higher desmin mRNA levels and lower αMHC/βMHC ratio. Intense exercise did not increase LV mRNA levels of fibrosis, oxidative stress and inflammation markers neither in males nor in females. In comparison to males, females had lower LV myocardial fibrosis as well as lower fibrosis markers.
Conclusions:
Male and female rats exhibit qualitatively different cardiovascular remodeling after extreme exercise. Nevertheless, both sexes might develop exercise-induced adverse vascular and cardiac effects.
Filamin A Regulates Cardiovascular Remodeling
