Resistance training attenuates the effects of aging in the aorta of Wistar rats

Diogo Correa Maldonado,Erico Chagas Caperuto,Laura Beatriz Mesiano Maifrino,Romeu Rodrigues De Souza,Sarah Martins Dos Santos,Eliane Florencio Gama

doi:10.1590/s1980-65742015000400012

Diogo Correa Maldonado, Erico Chagas Caperuto + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1980-65742015000400012

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Abstract

Abstract The objective of the present study was to follow the structural modifications of the aortic wall in middle-aged rats submitted to a resistance training protocol for a period of four months. Three groups of 8 animals per group were considered: middle-aged group (MA), old control group (OC) and old trained group (OT). Training consisted in to climb a 1.1-m vertical (80° incline) ladder with weights tied to their tail. Aortic wall structural modifications were studied through light and electron microscopy and morphometry. The mean arterial blood pressure at rest was similar in the three experimental groups (p = .07). At the beginning of the experiment, the OC and OT groups had similar repetition maximums, ranging from 1.6-fold to 1.9-fold the body weight. At the end of the experiment, the repetition maximum of the OT group was 5-fold greater than the body weight (p = .03). The LV weight was 15% larger in the OT group than in the MA group and 12% larger than in the OC group (p = .02). The LV wall thickness of the OT group was significantly larger than that of both, the MA group and the OC group (p = .03). The LV internal diameter in the OT group was significantly smaller than that observed in the MA and OC groups (p = .02). Resistance training diminished the alterations associated with aging improving aortic wall structure by reducing the thickness, normalising the elastic material, the collagen and the smooth muscle cells. Resistance training seems to be a potential treatment for reducing the deleterious effects of aging on the aortic wall.

Highlights

The collagen and elastic fibers are important components of the aortic wall for maintenance of the aortic functioning
Various granular and vesicular forms of cytoplasm degeneration occurred and resulted in similar debris being liberated into the extracellular space where it remained without producing any detectable reaction (Cliff, 1970)
The present study showed that the changes of aortic wall structure observed with aging were attenuated in rats subjected to resistance training for 16 week compared to sedentary controls, indicating that resistance training had an effect in the changes of aortic wall observed with aging

Summary

Introduction

The collagen and elastic fibers are important components of the aortic wall for maintenance of the aortic functioning. The increase of collagen-elastic ratio characterizes the hardening of the artery wall (Robert, 1999), resulting in loss of elasticity of the vessel wall, promoting myocardial fibrosis and heart failure in the elderly (Besse et al, 1993). The aging process in the aortic wall brings about a number of morphological changes, such as the deposition of collagen and elastic material and loss of smooth muscle cells (Gaballa et al, 1998; Matsuda, Nosaka, Sato, & Oshima, 1993) Several studies have shown that arterial stiffening may be favorably modified through exercise training (Mourot et al, 2009; Naka et al, 2003)

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