Exercise training increases basal tone in arterioles distal to chronic coronary occlusion

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology 2006-03, Vol.290 (3), p.H1128-H1135
• Main Authors: Heaps, Cristine L, Mattox, Mildred L, Kelly, Katherine A, Meininger, Cynthia J, Parker, Janet L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Arterioles - physiopathology; Calcium - metabolism; Chronic Disease; Coronary Stenosis - physiopathology; Coronary Stenosis - prevention & control; Exercise Therapy - methods; Female; Muscle Contraction; Muscle Tonus; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - physiopathology; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Physical Conditioning, Animal - methods; Potassium Channels - metabolism; Swine; Swine, Miniature
• ISSN: 0363-6135; 1522-1539
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00973.2005

1 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, and 2 Department of Medical Physiology, The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, College Station, Texas Submitted 12 September 2005 ; accepted in final form 16 October 2005 Endurance exercise training increases basal active tone in coronary arteries and enhances myogenic tone in coronary arterioles of control animals. Paradoxically, exercise training has also been shown to augment nitric oxide production and nitric oxide-mediated relaxation in coronary arterioles. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of exercise training on basal active tone of arterioles ( 150 µm ID) isolated from the collateral-dependent region of hearts exposed to chronic coronary occlusion. Ameroid occluders were surgically placed around the proximal left circumflex coronary artery of miniature swine. Arterioles were isolated from both the collateral-dependent and nonoccluded myocardial regions of sedentary (pen confined) and exercise-trained (treadmill run; 14 wk) pigs. Coronary tone was studied in isolated arterioles using microvessel myographs and standard isometric techniques. Exposure to nominally Ca 2+ -free external solution reduced resting tension in all arterioles; decreases were most profound ( P < 0.05) in arterioles from the collateral-dependent region of exercise-trained animals. Furthermore, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition ( N -nitro- L -arginine methyl ester; 100 µM) unmasked markedly increased nitric oxide-sensitive tone in arterioles from the collateral-dependent region of exercise-trained swine. Blockade of K + channels revealed significantly enhanced K + channel contribution to basal tone in collateral-dependent arterioles of exercise-trained pigs. Protein content of endothelial NOS (eNOS) and phosphorylated eNOS (pS1179), determined by immunoblot, was elevated in arterioles from exercise-trained animals with the greatest effect in collateral-dependent vasculature. Taken together, we demonstrate the interaction of opposing exercise training-enhanced arteriolar basal active tone, nitric oxide production, and K + channel activity in chronic coronary occlusion, potentially enhancing the capacity to regulate blood flow to collateral-dependent myocardium. coronary artery disease; nitric oxide; potassium channel; endothelial nitric oxide synthase; porcine Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: