title: Exercise improves cardiac function and attenuates insulin resistance in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The development of heart failure (HF) secondary to hypertension is a complex process related to a series of physiological and molecular factors including glucose dysregulation. The overall objective of this study was to investigate whether exercise training could improve cardiac function and insulin resistance in a rat model of hypertensive HF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven week old Dahl salt-sensitive rats received either 8% NaCl (n = 30) or 0.3% NaCl (n = 18) diet. After a 5-week diet, animals were randomly assigned to exercise training (treadmill running at 18 m/min, 5% inclination for 60 min, 5 days/week) or kept sedentary for 6 additional weeks. 2D echocardiography was used to calculate left ventricular (LV) dimensions, volumes and global functional parameters. LV global deformation parameters were measured with speckle tracking echocardiography. Insulin resistance was assessed using 1h oral glucose tolerance testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High salt diet led to cardiac hypertrophy and HF, characterized by increased wall thicknesses and LV volumes as well as reduced deformation parameters. In addition, high salt diet was associated with the development of insulin resistance. Exercise training improved cardiac function, reduced the extent of interstitial fibrosis and reduced insulin levels 60 min post-glucose administration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even if not fully reversed, exercise training in HF animals improved cardiac function and insulin resistance. Adjusted modalities of exercise training might offer new insights not only as a preventive strategy, but also as a treatment for HF patients.
authors.affiliation: REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Belgium. Electronic address: an.stevens@mail.be.
authors.forename: An L M
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Vesselina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferferieva
authors.affiliation: BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bito
authors.affiliation: REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Inez
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wens
authors.affiliation: REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verboven
authors.affiliation: BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dorien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deluyker
authors.affiliation: Jessa Hospital, Heart Center Hasselt, Belgium.
authors.forename: Annemie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voet
authors.affiliation: BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanhoof
authors.affiliation: REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Belgium; Jessa Hospital, Heart Center Hasselt, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dendale
authors.affiliation: REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, BIOMED Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bert O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Eijnde
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006334:Heart Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D051381:Rats; D020303:Rats, Inbred Dahl
keywords: Aerobic exercise; Echocardiography; Glucose; Heart failure; Hypertrophy