(K120277) Támogató: Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office
(K32019) Támogató: Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office
(TAMOP-4.2.2/B-10/1-2010-0013) Támogató: NKFIH
(STIA-KF-17) Támogató: STIA
(Bolyai János Kutatási Ösztöndíj) Támogató: MTA
Hungarian Hypertension Society
Dean of the Medical Faculty, Semmelweis University
Exercise training is associated with hypertrophy of left ventricle (LV). The aim of
the present study is to evaluate sex differences in the adaptation of the coronary
contractile function in physiological left ventricular hypertrophy induced by long-term
swim training.Thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: exercised
male (ExM), exercised female (ExF), untrained control male (CoM), and untrained control
female (CoF). The trained animals underwent a 12-week-long swim training program.
After finishing the training program, LV morphology and function were checked by echocardiography.
The spontaneous tone, thromboxane (TxA2) agonistinduced vascular contractility and
non-endothelial dilatation of the isolated intramural coronary resistance artery were
examined by pressure microangiometry. The thromboxane receptor (TxA2R) protein expression
in the wall of coronary arteries was examined using immunohistochemistry.The LV mass
index was significantly higher in the ExM and ExF groups, furthermore the LV mass
index was significantly higher in female than in male animals. ExM animals had lower
spontaneous tone than ExF. TxA2 agonistinduced tone was raised only in ExF animals.
The resistance coronary artery of exercised male animals had a significantly lower
level of TxA2R positivity compared to exercised females.Both sex broaden their range
of contractility following chronic swimming, but the vessel tone shifted toward contraction
in exercised female rats, while these values shifted toward relaxation in males. These
observations underline the significance of identifying potential gender differences
in the chronic exercise-induced coronary vascular remodelling in human athletes.