title: Changes in muscle morphology in dialysis patients after 6 months of aerobic exercise training.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the present study we investigated the effect of a 6-month aerobic exercise programme on the morphology of the gastrocnemius muscle of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four ESRD patients volunteered to participate in the training programme and underwent muscle biopsy before training. Eighteen patients completed the training programme of whom nine agreed to a post-training biopsy (one woman and eight men, mean age 56 +/- 15 years). Data are presented for the nine subjects who were biopsied before (PRE) and after training (POST) and separately for the 15 subjects for whom we only have a biopsy before training (cross-sectional group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in fibre type distribution or myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expression between the cross-sectional and PRE/POST groups. The mean cross-section fibre area after training (POST) increased by 46% compared with the PRE training status (P < 0.01). The proportion of atrophic fibres decreased significantly after training in type I, IIa and IIx fibre populations (from 51 to 15%, 58 to 21% and 62 to 32%, respectively). Significant differences were also found in capillary contact per fibre (CC/F), with the muscle having 24% (P < 0.05) more CC/F compared with the PRE training status. No significant differences in cytochrome c oxidase concentration were found between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, exercise appeared to be beneficial in renal rehabilitation by correcting the fibre atrophy, increasing the cross-section fibre area and improving the capillarization in the skeletal muscle of renal failure patients.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biophysical and Clinical Research into Human Movement, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. fsakkas@itsa.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Giorgos K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Sakkas
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sargeant
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Mercer
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: Pelagia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koufaki
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karatzaferi
authors.forename: Patrick F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Naish
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006435:Renal Dialysis