Exercise training attenuates the pressor response evoked by peripheral chemoreflex in rats with heart failure

The effects of exercise training (ExT) on the pressor response elicited by potassium cyanide (KCN) in the rat model of ischemia-induced heart failure (HF) are unknown. We evaluated the effects of ExT on chemoreflex sensitivity and its interaction with baroreflex in rats with HF. Wistar rats were divided into four groups: trained HF (Tr-HF), sedentary HF (Sed-HF), trained sham (Tr-Sham), and sedentary sham (Sed-Sham). Trained animals underwent to a treadmill running protocol for 8 weeks (60 m/day, 5 days/week, 16 m/min). After ExT, arterial pressure (AP), baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), peripheral chemoreflex (KCN: 100 μg/kg body mass), and cardiac function were evaluated. The results demonstrate that ExT induces an improvement in BRS and attenuates the pressor response to KCN relative to the Sed-HF group (P < 0.05). The improvement in BRS was associated with a reduction in the pressor response following ExT in HF rats (P < 0.05). Moreover, ExT induced a reduction in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and pulmonary congestion compared with the Sed-HF group (P < 0.05). The pressor response to KCN in the hypotensive state is decreased in sedentary HF rats. These results suggest that ExT improves cardiac function and BRS and attenuates the pressor response evoked by KCN in HF rats.