The effects of exercise training on heart, brain and behavior, in the isoproterenol-induced cardiac infarct model in middle-aged female rats

Figures

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  Figure 1. (A) and (B): typical pictures of sections of the left ventricle, stained for collagen with Sirius red (purple) and fast green as counterstaining. (A) section of a saline sedentary rat; (B): section of an ISO treated sedentary rats. Arrows point to areas with increased collagen. (C): Measured percentage of collagen in the left ventricle as Sirius Red positive area, at mid-ventricular level, in saline or isoproterenol (ISO) treated rats, under sedentary conditions or after five weeks of exercise training (n = 10, 10, 10, 9 for saline sedentary, saline exercise, ISO sedentary and ISO exercise rats, respectively). *: significant difference between groups (p < 0.05).

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  Figure 2. Echocardiographic measures of cardiac function in saline or isoproterenol (ISO) treated rats, under sedentary conditions or after five weeks of exercise training, (n = 4, 4, 6, 5 for saline sedentary, saline exercise, ISO sedentary and ISO exercise rats, respectively). *: significant difference between groups (p < 0.05); + : tendency (ANOVA p = 0.089; subsequent post-hoc test < 0.05).

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  Figure 3. Microglia activity in the hippocampus, in saline or isoproterenol (ISO) treated rats, under sedentary conditions or after five weeks of exercise training, (n = 4, 4, 6, 6 for saline sedentary, saline exercise, ISO sedentary and ISO exercise rats, respectively). (A): Overall microglia activity in the hippocampus; (B): typical pictures of microglia in the CA1 in saline sedentary and ISO sedentary rats (tile size: 0.1mm2); (C): Morphological parameters underlying the calculated microglia activity in the CA1 area, as the area best reflecting overall effects on the hippocampus. + : tendency (ANOVA p < 0.10; subsequent post-hoc test < 0.05).

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  Figure 4. Expression of BDNF in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in saline or isoproterenol (ISO) treated rats, under sedentary conditions or after five weeks of exercise training, (n = 4, 4, 6, 6 for saline sedentary, saline exercise, ISO sedentary and ISO exercise rats, respectively). OD = optical density; *: significant difference between groups (p < 0.05); +: p = 0.052.

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  Figure 5. Short-term memory tested as recognizing a novel object (NOR) or a novel location (NLR) in saline or isoproterenol (ISO) treated rats, under sedentary conditions or after five weeks of exercise training, (NOR: n = 9, 9, 8, 8 for saline sedentary, saline exercise, ISO sedentary and ISO exercise rats, respectively; NLR: n = 10, 9, 8, 9 for saline sedentary, saline exercise, ISO sedentary and ISO exercise rats, respectively). #: significantly different from random performance (= 50%; dashed line).

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  Figure 6. Behavior in the open field test (n = 10 per group), as measured time spent in the wall area and locomotor activity, in saline or isoproterenol (ISO) treated rats, under sedentary conditions or after five weeks of exercise training. *: significant difference between groups (p < 0.05).