Combined aerobic and resistance exercise training restores perivascular adipose tissue function in the thoracic aorta of rats with heart failure.

Exercise training (ET) is increasingly recognized as a beneficial non-pharmacological intervention for cardiovascular diseases. Our previous results demonstrated that the thoracic perivascular adipose tissue (tPVAT) of heart failure (HF) rats underwent a phenotypic shift from brown to white adipose tissue, accompanied by impaired anticontractile function and oxidative stress. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of combined aerobic and resistance ET on the vasoactive properties of tPVAT in a HF rat model following myocardial infarction (MI). Wistar rats were subjected to either coronary artery ligation or sham operation (SO). Four weeks after surgery, the rats were divided into four groups: untrained (u) and exercise-trained (t) SO or HF. An 8-week ET program significantly improved running distance and maximum load lifting in the SO and HF groups, ameliorating tPVAT dysfunction and inducing browning only in the HF group. Additionally, ET enhanced the nitric oxide bioavailability, restored oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1), and increased anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 levels in tPVAT. Furthermore, it increased noradrenaline (NE) content and β3-adrenoceptor (AR) gene expression in tPVAT, optimizing the NE/β3-AR/ adiponectin/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway locally. These findings highlight the potential of ET as a non-pharmacological approach to managing PVAT and vascular adjustments in HF.