Conclusion
Mild endurance exercise plus BFR can alter the expression of angiotensin II and apelin receptors that leads to cardiac hypertrophy and improves the ventricular conductivity of aging rats.
Methods
Animal were grouped as control (CTL), Sham (Sh), lower extremities blood flow restriction (BFR), exercise (Ex), Sham + exercise (Sh + Ex), and blood flow restriction + exercise (BFR + Ex).
Results
Exercise plus BFR significantly decreased the corrected QT (QTc) interval (P<0.01 vs CTL and Sh groups) and increased the heart hypertrophy index (P<0.05 vs CTL and BFR groups). Exercise alone increased expression of the APJ (P<0.01, vs CTL, Sh, and BFR groups) and AT2 receptors (P<0.001, vs Sh, CTL, BFR, and BFR + exercise groups), whereas it reduced expression of AT1R (P<0.01 in comparison with CTL, Sh, and BFR groups). Exercise plus BFR caused a significant increase in APJ (P<0.05 vs Ex, Sh+Ex and P<0.001 vs CTL, Sh, and BFR groups) and also expression of AT1R (P<0.001 vs Ex, Sh + Ex, CTL, Sh, and P<0.01 vs BFR groups). Accompaniment of exercise with BFR destroyed the effect of exercise on the expression of AT2R.