Mesenchymal stem cell therapy associated with endurance exercise training: Effects on the structural and functional remodeling of infarcted rat hearts.

We tested the effects of early mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy associated with endurance exercise on the structural and functional cardiac remodeling of rats with myocardial infarctation (MI). Male Wistar rats (40 days old) were divided into 6 groups: control and exercise sham; control and exercise MI; and control and exercise MI MSC. MI was surgically induced and bone marrow-derived MSCs were immediately injected via caudal vein (concentration: 1 × 10(6 )cells). Twenty-four hours later ET groups exercised on a treadmill (5 days/week; 60 min/day; 60% of maximal running velocity) for 12 weeks. Structural and functional changes were determined by echocardiography. Contractility and intracellular global calcium ([Ca(2 +)]i) transient were measured in myocytes from the left ventricular (LV) non-infarcted area. Calcium regulatory proteins were measured by Western blot. MI increased (p < 0.05) heart, ventricular and LV weights and its ratios to body weight; LV internal dimension in diastole (LVID-D) and in systole (LVID-S) and LV free wall in diastole (LVFW-D), but reduced the thickness of interventricular septum in systole (IVS-S), ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS). MI augmented (p < 0.05) the times to peak and to half relaxation of cell shortening as well as the amplitude of the [Ca(2 +)]i transient and the times to peak and to half decay. Early MSCs therapy restored LVFW-D, IVS-S and the amplitude and time to half decay of the [Ca(2 +)]i transient. Early endurance exercise intervention increased (p < 0.05) LVFW-S, IVS-S, EF and FS, and reduced the times to peak and to half relaxation of cell shortening, and the amplitude of the [Ca(2 +)]i transient. Exercise training also increased the expression of left ventricular SERCA2a and PLBser16. Nevertheless, the combination of these therapies did not cause additive effects. In conclusion, combining early MSCs therapy and endurance exercise does not potentiate the benefits of such treatments to structural and functional cardiac remodeling in infarcted rats.

Efeitos do treinamento em natação sobre propriedades mecânicas e estruturais do fêmur de ratas ovariectomizadas / Effects of swimming training on femoral mechanical and structural properties in ovariectomized female rats

Investigamos os efeitos do treinamento em natação (TN) sobre propriedades mecânicas e estruturais do fêmur de ratas ovariectomizadas. Ratas Wistar com peso corporal (PC) de 271,42 ± 17,6 g e 20 semanas de idade foram submetidas à ovariectomia (OVX) ou laparotomia (SHAM) e alocadas em grupos: natação OVX (NO, n=12), controle OVX (CO, n=12), natação SHAM (NS, n=12) e controle SHAM (CS, n=12). Quinze dias pós-cirurgia NO e NS foram submetidos ao TN (60 min/dia, 5 dias/semana, sobrecarga progressiva até 3% do PC) por 10 semanas. Análises da atividade de fosfatase alcalina óssea demonstraram ser menores para os animais OVX comparados com os SHAM (23,91 ± 11,64 pg/mL vs. 57,29 ± 16,24 pg/mL, respectivamente) não foram alteradas pelo TN. As ratas SHAM apresentaram mais osso trabecular no colo do fêmur que as OVX (255,50 ± 38,27 vs 288,75 ± 39,63 pontos, respectivamente). As ratas exercitadas exibiram mais osso trabecular que as controles (292,00 ± 33,54 vs 251,54 ± 38,99 pontos, respectivamente) nesta região e no trocanter maior (281,50 ± 34,42 vs 237,23 ± 53,03 pontos; respectivamente). A densidade mineral óssea e a massa de osso cortical do terço médio do fêmur não foram alteradas pela OVX ou TN. A força máxima e a tenacidade do terço médio e do colo do fêmur não foram afetadas pela OVX ou TN. Concluiu-se que o treinamento em natação aplicado beneficiou a massa óssea na região proximal do fêmur de ratas, independentemente da ovariectomia, o que não refletiu em melhora das propriedades mecânicas, seja no colo ou na diáfise do fêmur.

We investigated the effects of swimming training (ST) on femoral mechanical and structural properties in ovariectomized female rats. Female Wistar rats [age = 20 weeks; body weight (BW) = 271,42 ± 17,6 g] were subjected to ovariectomy (OVX) or laparotomy (SHAM) and allocated to one of the following groups: swimming OVX (SO, n=12), control OVX (CO, n=12), swimming SHAM (SS, n=12) and control SHAM (CS, n=12). Fifteen days after surgery SO and SS groups were subjected to a ST (60 min/day, 5 days/week, overload of 3% of BW) for 10 weeks. Alkalin phosfatase was reduced in OVX as compared to SHAM (18,87 pg/mL vs. 53,93 pg/mL, respectively), but not altered by ST. Animals SHAM showed more cancellous bone than OVX (255,50 ± 38,27 vs 288,75 ± 39,63 points, respectively). Exercised animals exhibited more cancellous bone than controls (292,00 ± 33,54 vs 251,54 ± 38,99 points, respectively) in this region and in the grater trochanter (281,50 ± 34,42 vs 237,23 ± 53,03 points; respectively). Bone mineral density and cortical bone in the femur midshaft were not altered either by OVX or ST. The maximum force and thoughness of the femoral neck and midshaft were not affected either by OVX or ST. It was concluded that ST benefits cancellous bone mass in the femoral proximal region (i.e. femoral neck and greater trochanter), independently of ovariectomy, which did not reflect in improved mechanical properties either in the femoral neck or midshaft.

Treinamento aeróbio em natação melhora a resposta de parâmetros metabólicos de ratos durante teste de esforço / Aerobic swimming training improves metabolic parameters response during exertion test in rats

Foram investigados os efeitos do treinamento aeróbio em natação com baixa intensidade sobre as respostas do lactato e da glicose sanguíneos de ratos durante teste de esforço. Ratos Wistar adultos foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: sedentário (n = 6) e treinado (n = 6). Todos receberam água e ração ad libitum e foram mantidos em ambiente com temperatura de 22 ± 2ºC e ciclo claro/escuro de 12 horas. O grupo treinado foi submetido a um programa de natação contínua sem sobrecarga, 30 min/dia, cinco dias/semana, por seis semanas. Três dias após a última sessão de treino, as concentrações sanguíneas de lactato e glicose foram medidas em três momentos durante dois testes de esforço de 20 minutos (repouso, 10 min e 20 min), sendo um sem carga e outro com carga (5 por cento do peso corporal), separados por dois dias. Observou-se correlação inversa entre lactato e glicose durante o exercício (ρ = - 0,74; P < 0,001). A concentração de lactato elevou-se do repouso para 10 min (P < 0,05) e estabilizou-se entre 10 e 20 min, em ambos os grupos nos dois testes. No teste com carga, o lactato estabilizou-se em níveis mais elevados frente aos níveis sem carga (P < 0,05), nos dois grupos. Os animais treinados exibiram níveis de lactato mais baixos do que os sedentários (P < 0,05) nos dois testes. A glicose sanguínea decaiu do repouso até 20 min nos sedentários, no teste com carga (P < 0,05). Nos treinados, a glicose sanguínea estabilizou-se em ambos os testes (P > 0,05). Conclui-se que o treinamento aeróbio em natação aplicado foi capaz de alterar as respostas do lactato e glicose sanguíneos de ratos durante os testes de esforço.

The effects of low intensity aerobic swimming training on blood lactate and glucose responses in rats were investigated during exertion test. Twelve adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: sedentary (n= 6) and trained (n= 6). All animals received water and food ad libitum and were kept in a room with temperature of 22 ± 2ºC and dark/light cycle of 12 hours. Animals from trained group were submitted to a swimming training protocol of 30 min/day, 5 days/week, for 6 weeks. Sedentary animals did not exercise. Three days after the last training session all animals were submitted to two 20-minute swimming tests with 48 hour-interval, being one unloaded and the other with a load of 5 percent of body weight. Blood lactate and glucose were measured at rest, 10 min and 20 min of exercise. Negative correlation between blood lactate and glucose levels was observed during the exertion tests (ρ = - 0.74, P<0.001). Blood lactate concentration increased from rest to 10 min of exercise and stabilized from 10 to 20 min of exercise in both exercised and sedentary animals (P<0.05) during the unloaded exertion test. Blood lactate stabilized at higher levels when compared to those in the unloaded test in both groups (P<0.05) during the loaded exertion test. Trained rats presented lower levels of blood lactate than sedentary animals in both exercise tests (P<0.05). Blood glucose declined from rest to 10 min of exercise in sedentary rats during the loaded test (P<0.05). However, in trained animals blood glucose stabilized in both exercise tests (P>0.05). It was concluded that aerobic swimming training changed blood lactate and glucose response in rats during exertion test.