Key result
Exercise protocols alter myocardial intercalated-disc remodeling by age and increase fibrosis in rats.
Why the study?
The myocardial response to repeated physical loading may vary with age, and structural changes may not be captured by functional measurements alone.
Do distinct exercise protocols alter myocardial histopathology and desmin-associated intercalated-disc morphology across different age categories in male white laboratory rats?
Do distinct exercise protocols alter myocardial histopathology and desmin-associated intercalated-disc morphology across different age categories in male white laboratory rats?
This preclinical study provides hypothesis-generating descriptive observations that repeated physical loading in rats is associated with age-, region-, and protocol-dependent myocardial fibrosis, cardiomyocyte injury, and structural alterations in desmin-associated intercalated discs.
Animal study results should not guide exercise recommendations; leaves open translational relevance of age-specific myocardial remodeling.
Background: The myocardial response to repeated physical loading may vary with age, and structural changes may not be captured by functional measurements alone. This experimental study examined myocardial histopathology and desmin-associated intercalated-disc morphology in rats of different ages exposed to distinct exercise protocols. Methods: Male white laboratory rats were assigned by age to a control group or one of three exercise groups: treadmill exercise, 40-minute swimming with a tail load equal to 2% of body mass, or 60-minute swimming with a tail load equal to 4% of body mass. Histological assessment included hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson’s trichrome staining, and immunohistochemical evaluation of desmin. Results: The dissertation describes more prominent changes in the anterior wall of the left ventricle than in the lateral wall. Findings included vascular hyperemia and congestion, stasis, focal vascular-wall injury, cardiomyocyte degeneration and fragmentation, and perivascular/interstitial fibrosis. Intercalated-disc frequency was reported as 22.50% versus 22.33% in young experimental and control rats, 24.17% versus 22.67% in middle-aged rats, and 23.67% versus 25.67% in older rats. Conclusions: The findings suggest age- and protocol-associated variation in myocardial structural response. Because full quantitative scoring and endpoint-specific inferential statistics are not available in the extracted text, the observations are descriptive.
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Gogiberidze et al. (2026) studied Age-related myocardial response to exercise (n=90). Exercise protocols (treadmill exercise, 40-minute swimming with 2% body mass tail load, or 60-minute swimming with 4% body mass tail load) vs. Age-matched unexercised control rats was evaluated on Myocardial histopathology and desmin-associated intercalated-disc frequency. Exercise protocols in rats altered intercalated-disc frequency by age (22.50% vs 22.33% in young, 24.17% vs 22.67% in middle-aged, 23.67% vs 25.67% in older) and increased myocardial fibrosis.
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