Chronic hypoxia and exercise training affect the NO content and NOS activity of rat skeletal muscle : original research article

• Published in: International sportmed journal for FIMS 2010-01, Vol.11 (1), p.244-257
• Main Authors: Li, Zheng, Zhang, Zhenxi, Ren, Wenjun, Yang, Xudong, Jiang, Xiaogang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Exercise; Nitric oxide; Nitric oxide synthase; Skeletal muscle
• ISSN: 1528-3356; 1528-3356

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) plays a critical role in the recovery stage, in maintaining a large blood flow in skeletal muscle and in promoting recovery after exercise. Research question: This study observed the NO level, NOS activity and the expression of NOS in rat skeletal muscle under normoxic and hypoxic training conditions. Type of study: Randomised controlled study. Methods: Sixty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normoxic control group, two-week training, four-week training, six-week training groups; hypoxic control group, two-week hypoxic training, four-week hypoxic training, six-week hypoxic training groups. The classic Griess method was used to test nitric oxide in the homogenate of skeletal muscle. Moreover, methods such as RT-PCR, western blot, etc. were utilised to test the change of the all types of nitric oxide synthase expression. Results: The results showed that the NO content of rat skeletal muscle was significantly increased in two, four, and six-week training subgroups compared with the control group under normoxic conditions; NO content increased in the four-weeks and six-weeks hypoxic training group compared with the hypoxic control group (p