title: Digoxin Induces Cardiac Hypertrophy Without Negative Effects on Cardiac Function and Physical Performance in Trained Normotensive Rats.
abstract: Cardiotonic drugs and exercise training promote cardiac inotropic effects, which may affect training-induced cardiac adaptations. This study investigated the effects of long-term administration of digoxin on heart structure and function, and physical performance of rats submitted to high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Male Wistar rats, 60 days old, were divided into control (C), digoxin (DIGO), trained (T), and trained with digoxin (TDIGO). Digoxin was administered by gavage (30 µg/kg/day) for 75 days. The HIIT program consisted of treadmill running 60 min/day (8 min at 80% of the maximum speed (MS) and 2 min at 20% of the MS), 5 days per week during 60 days. The main cardiac parameters were evaluated by echocardiograph and cardiomyocyte area was determined by histology. There were no group x time effects of digoxin, HIIT or interactions (digoxin and HIIT) on functional echocardiographic parameters (heart rate; ejection fraction) or in the maximum exercise test. There was a group x time interaction, as evidenced by observed cardiac hypertrophy in the TDIGO group evaluated by ratio of left ventricle weight to body weight (p<0.002) and cardiomyocyte area (p<0.000002). Long-term administration of digoxin promoted cardiac hypertrophy without affecting cardiac function and physical performance in rats submitted to HIIT.
authors.affiliation: UFMT, Laboratório de Fisiologia - Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Cuiabá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claodete Hasselstrom
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Catholic University of Brasilia, Physical Education, Taguatinga, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ramires Alsamir
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tibana
authors.affiliation: Catholic University of Brasilia, Physical Education, Taguatinga, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jonato
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prestes
authors.affiliation: UFMT, Bioscience/Nutrition, Cuiabá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabricio Azevedo
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Voltarelli
authors.affiliation: North University of Paraná (UNOPAR), Centre of Biological and Healthy Sciences, Londrina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andreo Fernando
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: UFMT, Laboratório de Fisiologia - Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Cuiabá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Augusto
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ferreira Mota
authors.affiliation: UFMT, Laboratório de Fisiologia - Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Cuiabá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sergio Luiz Borges
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Espírito Santo, Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica Experimental/NUPEM, Vitoria, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andre Soares
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Leopoldo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Espírito Santo, Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica Experimental/NUPEM, Vitoria, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula Lima
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Leopoldo
authors.affiliation: UFMT, Laboratório de Fisiologia - Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Cuiabá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: UFMT, Laboratório de Fisiologia - Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Cuiabá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Danilo Henrique
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences, Las Vegas, United States.
authors.forename: James Wilfred
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Navalta
authors.affiliation: UFMT, Laboratório de Fisiologia - Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Cuiabá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mario Mateus
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sugizaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004077:Digoxin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006339:Heart Rate; D000072696:High-Intensity Interval Training; D008297:Male; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D004077:Digoxin