scholarly journals Voluntary Wheel Running Attenuates Salt-Induced Vascular Stiffness Independent of Blood Pressure

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 1162-1169 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J Guers ◽  
William B Farquhar ◽  
David G Edwards ◽  
Shannon L Lennon

Abstract BACKGROUND Excess dietary salt can lead to the development of arterial stiffness and high blood pressure (BP). Regular physical activity can protect against arterial stiffening and lower BP. Less is known regarding the role of exercise on the vasculature independent of BP under high salt (HS) conditions. The aim of the study was to determine whether wheel running protects against the development of dietary salt-induced arterial stiffness independent of BP. METHODS Rats were maintained on either normal salt (NS; 0.49% NaCl) or HS (4.0% NaCl) diet for 6 weeks and further divided into a voluntary wheel running (NS-VWR, HS-VWR) or cage control group (NS, HS). Carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured using applanation tonometry at baseline (BSL) and 6 weeks. RESULTS BP was measured weekly and remained unchanged among groups throughout the 6 weeks (P > 0.05). PWV was elevated at 6 weeks in HS compared to baseline (HS-BSL, 3.27 ± 0.17 vs. HS-6 week, 4.13 ± 0.26 m/s; P < 0.05) and was lower at 6 weeks in both VWR groups (NS-VWR, 2.98 ± 0.29, HS-VWR, 3.11 ± 0.23 m/s) when compared to HS at 6 weeks (P < 0.05). This was supported by a significant increase in aortic collagen I in the HS group alone and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) was greater in the HS group compared to both NS groups (P < 0.05). Wheel running resulted in a greater aortic phosphorylated eNOS and SOD-2 in HS-WVR (P < 0.05) compared to HS. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that VWR may protect against collagen accumulation through a TGF-β-mediated pathway by improving nitric oxide bioavailability and redox balance in rats.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Zhang ◽  
Yi Feng ◽  
Wenliang Ji ◽  
Jianzhang Liu ◽  
Kun Liu

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of voluntary wheel running on striatal dopamine level and behavior of cognition and emotion in molar loss rats. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were enrolled in this study and randomly divided into following 4 groups: control group (C group), molar loss group (ML group), 1-week physical exercise before molar loss group (1W-ML group), and 4-week physical exercise before molar loss group (4W-ML group). The rats both in 4W-ML and 1W-ML groups were placed in the voluntary running wheel in order to exercise for 4 weeks and 1 week, respectively. Then, the rats in 4W-ML, 1W-M, and ML groups received bilateral molar loss operation. After 10 days, striatal dopamine level was detected by in vivo microdialysis coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrochemical detection. All the rats received behavior test after microdialysis detection. The behavior tests including passive avoidance test were used to assess cognition and elevated plus maze test for emotion. The results indicated that voluntary wheel running promoted striatal dopamine level in rats of molar loss. Behavioral data indicated that voluntary wheel running promoted cognition and emotion recovery after molar loss. Therefore, we concluded physical exercise significantly improved the neurocognitive behaviors and increased the striatal dopamine level after molar loss in rats.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Priit Pauklin ◽  
Jaan Eha ◽  
Kaspar Tootsi ◽  
Rein Kolk ◽  
Rain Paju ◽  
...  

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice, yet there is a lack of information about the hemodynamic profile and arterial stiffness of these patients. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the differences in arterial stiffness and central blood pressures in patients with paroxysmal/persistent AF compared to a healthy control group. Methods: We included 76 patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF who underwent electrical cardioversion or pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for AF. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), augmentation index (AIx) and central blood pressure (cBP) were measured by applanation tonometry. All measurements were done in sinus rhythm (SR). We compared the results with 75 healthy age matched individuals. Results: Patients with a history of AF had higher cfPWV compared to the control group (8,0 m/s vs 7,2 m/s, p<0,001). AF patients also had higher central systolic blood pressure (cSBP) (118 mmHg vs 114 mmHg, p=0,03) and central pulse pressure (cPP) (39 mmHg vs 37 mmHg, p=0,03), without differences in peripheral systolic pressure (pSBP) (127 mmHg vs 123 mmHg, p=0,13), peripheral diastolic blood pressure (pDPB) (78 mmHg vs 76 mmHg, p=0,14) and peripheral pulse pressure (pPP) (48 mmHg vs 47 mmHg, p=0,37). There was no difference in heart rate (HR) (58 vs 61 bpm, p=0,08) (Table 1). In a multiple regression analysis (adjusted R 2 = 0,37) where cfPWV was set as the dependent variable and adjusting for age, sex, HR, weight, mean central arterial pressure (cMAP), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), the AF group remained to be an independent predictor for cfPWV (p=0,016). Conclusions: Patients with atrial fibrillation have a higher cSBP, cPP and cfPWV compared to healthy subjects without differences in peripheral blood pressure and HR. These findings support the hypothesis that arterial stiffness may play an important role in the development of atrial fibrillation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Skaria ◽  
K Mitchell ◽  
J A Fischer ◽  
W Born ◽  
M Gassmann ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Alpha calcitonin gene-related peptide (αCGRP) is one of the strongest vasodilators and, as such, is cardioprotective in chronic hypertension when reducing the associated elevated blood pressure. However, we hypothesize that endogenous, physical activity-induced αCGRP has blood pressure independent cardioprotective effects in chronic hypertension. Methods Chronic hypertension was induced in WT and αCGRP−/− mice by one-kidney one-clip surgery. Chronic hypertensive WT and αCGRP−/− mice lived sedentarily or performed voluntary wheel running and were treated simultaneously with either vehicle, αCGRP or αCGRP receptor antagonist CGRP8–37. Cardiac function and tissue phenotype were evaluated echocardiographically and by ddPCR, Western blotting and histology, respectively. Results Blood pressure was similar among all hypertensive experimental groups. Endogenous αCGRP limited pathological cardiac remodeling and symptomatic heart failure already in sedentary, chronic hypertensive WT mice. In these mice, voluntary wheel running significantly improved cardiac tissue phenotype and function, that was abolished by CGRP8–37 treatment. In αCGRP−/− mice, αCGRP treatment, in contrast to voluntary wheel running, improved cardiac tissue phenotype and function. Specific inhibition of proliferation and myofibroblast differentiation of primary murine cardiac fibroblasts by αCGRP suggests involvement of these cells in αCGRP-mediated blunting of pathological cardiac remodeling. Conclusion Endogenous, physical activity-induced αCGRP has blood pressure independent cardioprotective effects and is crucial for maintaining cardiac function in chronic hypertension. Consequently, permanently inhibiting endogenous αCGRP signaling, as currently approved for migraine prophylaxis, could endanger hypertensive patients. Acknowledgement/Funding Swiss National Science Foundation, Novartis Foundation for Medical-biological Research


2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 502-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Guers ◽  
Lauren Kasecky-Lardner ◽  
William B. Farquhar ◽  
David G. Edwards ◽  
Shannon L. Lennon

Diets high in salt can lead to endothelial dysfunction, a nontraditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Exercise is known to reduce CVD risk; however, it remains unknown whether chronic physical activity can attenuate salt-induced endothelial dysfunction independent of blood pressure (BP) and whether these changes are due to an upregulation in endogenous antioxidants. Eight-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a normal (NS; 0.49%)- or a high (HS; 4.0%)-salt diet and further divided into voluntary wheel running (NS-VWR, HS-VWR) and sedentary (NS, HS) groups for 6 wk. BP was measured weekly and remained unchanged within groups ( P = 0.373). Endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) was impaired in the femoral artery of HS compared with NS (38.6 ± 4.0% vs. 65.0 ± 3.6%; P = 0.013) animals, whereas it was not different between NS and HS-VWR (73.4 ± 6.4%; P = 0.273) animals. Incubation with the antioxidants TEMPOL ( P = 0.024) and apocynin ( P = 0.013) improved EDR in HS animals, indicating a role for reactive oxygen species (ROS). Wheel running upregulated the antioxidant superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD-2) ( P = 0.011) under HS conditions and lowered NOX4 and Gp91-phox, two subunits of NADPH oxidase. Wheel running elevated phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) ( P = 0.014) in HS-fed rats, demonstrating a role for physical activity and eNOS activity under HS conditions. Finally, there was a reduction in EDR ( P = 0.038) when femoral arteries from NS-VWR animals were incubated with TEMPOL or apocynin, suggesting there may be a critical level of ROS needed to maintain endothelial function. In summary, physical activity protected HS-fed rats from reductions in endothelial function, likely through increased SOD-2 levels and reduced oxidative stress. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our data suggest that voluntary wheel running can prevent impairments in endothelium-dependent relaxation in the femoral artery of rats fed a high-salt diet. This appears to be independent of blood pressure and mediated through a decrease in expression of NADPH oxidases as a result of physical activity. These data suggest that increased chronic physical activity can protect the vasculature from a diet high in salt, likely through a reduction in oxidative stress.


2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 729-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine R. Mikus ◽  
Bruno T. Roseguini ◽  
Grace M. Uptergrove ◽  
E. Matthew Morris ◽  
Randy Scott Rector ◽  
...  

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