Positive effect of combined exercise training in a model of metabolic syndrome and menopause: autonomic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress evaluations

Abstract

It is now well established that after menopause cardiometabolic disorders become more common. Recently, resistance exercise has been recommended as a complement to aerobic (combined training, CT) for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of CT in hypertensive ovariectomized rats undergoing fructose overload in blood pressure variability (BPV), inflammation, and oxidative stress parameters. Female rats were divided into the following groups (n = 8/group): sedentary normotensive Wistar rats (C), and sedentary (FHO) or trained (FHOT) ovariectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats undergoing and fructose overload. CT was performed on a treadmill and ladder adapted to rats in alternate days (8 wk; 40-60% maximal capacity). Arterial pressure (AP) was directly measured. Oxidative stress and inflammation were measured on cardiac and renal tissues. The association of risk factors (hypertension + ovariectomy + fructose) promoted increase in insulin resistance, mean AP (FHO: 174 ± 4 vs. C: 108 ± 1 mmHg), heart rate (FHO: 403 ± 12 vs. C: 352 ± 11 beats/min), BPV, cardiac inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-α-FHO: 65.8 ± 9.9 vs. C: 23.3 ± 4.3 pg/mg protein), and oxidative stress cardiac and renal tissues. However, CT was able to reduce mean AP (FHOT: 158 ± 4 mmHg), heart rate (FHOT: 303 ± 5 beats/min), insulin resistance, and sympathetic modulation. Moreover, the trained rats presented increased nitric oxide bioavailability, reduced tumor necrosis factor-α (FHOT: 33.1 ± 4.9 pg/mg protein), increased IL-10 in cardiac tissue and reduced lipoperoxidation, and increased antioxidant defenses in cardiac and renal tissues. In conclusion, the association of risk factors promoted an additional impairment in metabolic, cardiovascular, autonomic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress parameters and combined exercise training was able to attenuate these dysfunctions.

The Coexistence of Hypertension and Ovariectomy Additively Increases Cardiac Apoptosis

“…Obesity or weight gain may lead to cardiac apoptosis [43,44,45,46], but it is still unclear whether the increased cardiac apoptotic activity is partially due to the deleterious factor of weight gain after an ovariectomy. Moreover, the coexistence and independence of ovariectomy and hypertension share many of the same or different disease processes and risk factors, such as weight change [42], increased inflammation [47], oxidative stress [48,49], renin-angiotensin system activity [6,26] and heart and renal changes [50]. This implies that other factors involved in these changes and further studies are required to evaluate these issues.…”

Cross-Talk Between Insulin Signaling and G Protein–Coupled Receptors

“…RTKs use several components of GPCR signaling, such as β-arrestin, G protein-receptor kinases (GRKs), and regulator of G protein signaling, causing integration of the signaling pathways [21]. For example, insulin has been shown to induce tissue RAS activation directly [22] and to cause increases in the AT1 receptor expression in cultured vascular cells [23]. Earlier studies revealed that insulin counter-regulates the action of β-adrenergic catecholamine stimulation, at a point proximal to β-adrenergic receptors (βARs) [24].…”

The impact of exercise frequency upon microvascular endothelium function and oxidative stress among patients with coronary artery disease

“…Studies regarding the effect of exercise training on redox status are controversial. Previous studies conducted in clinical and experimental settings have shown increment in antioxidant enzymes’ levels and reduced oxidative stress after exercise training (Takahashi et al ., ; Conti et al ., ; Lawler et al ., ), while others have not (Balakrishnan & Anuradha, ; Chang et al ., ; Finkler et al ., ). Therefore, further research with larger sample sizes on the mechanisms by which exercise training benefits microvascular function is warranted.…”