The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of endurance exercise training on both locomotor skeletal muscle collagen characteristics and passive stiffness properties in the young adult and old rat. Young (3-mo-old) and senescent (23-mo-old) male Fischer 344 rats were randomly assigned to either a control or exercise training group [young control (YC), old control (OC), young trained (YT), old trained (OT)]. Exercise training consisted of treadmill running at approximately 70% of maximal oxygen consumption (45 min/day, 5 days/wk, for 10 wk). Passive stiffness (stress/strain) of the soleus (Sol) muscle from all four groups was subsequently measured in vitro at 26 degreesC. Stiffness was significantly greater for Sol muscles in OC rats compared with YC rats, but in OT rats exercise training resulted in muscles with stiffness characteristics not different from those in YC rats. Sol muscle collagen concentration and the level of the nonreducible collagen cross-link hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP) significantly increased from young adulthood to senescence. Although training had no effect on Sol muscle collagen concentration in either age group, it resulted in a significant reduction in the level of Sol muscle HP in OT rats. In contrast, exercise had no effect on HP in the YT animals. These findings indicate that 10 wk of endurance exercise significantly alter the passive viscoelastic properties of Sol muscle in old but not in young adult rats. The coincidental reduction in the principal collagen cross-link HP also observed in response to training in OT muscle highlights the potential role of collagen in influencing passive muscle viscoelastic properties.

The purpose of this study was to compare the independent and interactive effects of age and exercise training on selected parameters of the right ventricle (RV), left ventricular septum (LVS) and left ventricular free-wall (LVFW) extracellular matrix. Specifically, we evaluated collagen and collagen crosslinking (hydroxylysylpyridinoline, HP) concentrations in the myocardial extracellular matrix in young adult, Y (5.5 months) and old, O (25.5 months) male Fischer 344 rats. Rats were assigned to either a sedentary control (YC, OC) or an exercise training group (YT, OT). Rats were trained for 45 min/day, 5 days/week, for 10 weeks at approximately equals 70% of maximal oxygen consumption. Following the training regimen, rats were sacrificed and their hearts were dissected into the RV, LVS and LVFW. Training resulted in a significant hypertrophy of the left ventricle (LV) but not RV relative to body weight. In young rats, collagen concentration was significantly higher (P<0.01) in RV compared to LVS, but not LVFW. With aging, collagen concentration increased significantly (P<0.05) in both ventricles, but more so in LV than RV so that differences in percent collagen observed between chambers in both YC and YT rats no longer existed in OC and OT animals. This aging effect was attenuated by training in the LVS but not the LVFW, so that collagen concentration, while higher in this region of the LV in OT compared to YT rats, was also lower than that seen in the LVS of OC rats. HP crosslink concentration in the LVS and LVFW, but not the RV of OC rats was significantly elevated above corresponding values seen in YC rats (P < 0.05 or greater). In YT rats, training had no effect on HP crosslinking concentration in any of the three regions of the heart. However, in OT rats, training completely prevented the age-associated increase in crosslinking seen in both the LVS and LVFW of OC animals. These findings illustrate the different responses of the RV, LVS and LVFW extracellular matrix components, collagen and HP crosslinking, to both aging and training in the rodent.

Hypothesis: Simulation training provides hands on experience in a safe environment, where students and clinicians are able to practice without any risk of harming a patient. Pharmacists and pharmacy students are often educated with print-based or online reading materials and lectures; simulation training, however, provides a unique opportunity for advancing clinical competence and education by presenting a realistic patient case in a low-risk environment. This project aimed to evaluate the difference between pharmacy education via written materials alone and pharmacy education via written materials plus hands-on simulation.Methods: A simulation case, educational module, and assessment regarding torsades de pointes (TdP) in an adolescent patient were designed for this study. Third-year pharmacy students attending simulation and pharmacists employed by Children's of Alabama were included. The written educational module was given to all participants at least 10 days prior to attending simulation. The anonymous assessment was given to all third-year pharmacy students and pharmacists at a time when approximately half of the participants had been to simulation. The assessment included demographic information; whether or not the participant had been to simulation regarding TdP within the last thirty days; whether or not the participant had read, skimmed, or not read the module; and assessed clinical concepts addressed in the module and in simulation. The aNew South Walesers from those who had been to simulation and those who had not, and whether they had read, skimmed or not read the educational material were compared.Results: Ninety-two students and 26 pharmacists took the assessment. At the time of the assessment, 48 of the students and 13 of the pharmacists had been to simulation. 41.5% reported reading, 37.3% reported skimming, and 21.2% reported not reading the module. A non-paired t-test was used to compare the percentage of total correct aNew South Walesers and aNew South Walesers of individual questions between groups. The mean score of all participants was 62 T 20, and there was no statistically significant difference between raw scores of students and pharmacists (p=0.245). Mean scores of participants who went to simulation (70 T 16) were statistically significantly higher than scores of those who had not attended simulation (54 T 21) (pG0.0001). Further, those who attended simulation and read the module (72 T 3), skimmed (68 T 13), or did not read the module (66 T 16) had higher mean scores than those who did not attend simulation and read the module (62 T 26), skimmed the module (54 T 17), or did not read the module (51 T 20).Conclusion: Hands-on simulation education has a statistically significant positive effect on assessment scores. Overall, reading the educational module and participating in simulation yielded the best scores. Participants who attended the simulation and did not read the module had higher average scores than participants who read the educational module and those who did not go to simulat...

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