EXERCISE TRAINING ALTERS MYOGENIC RESPONSES IN PORCINE CORONARY RESISTANCE ARTERIES

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that myogenic responsiveness in porcine coronary resistance arteries is attenuated by exercise training. Twenty-four female Yucatan miniature swine were randomly separated into two groups of 12 pigs: exercise trained (ET) and sedentary control (SED). The ET pigs were trained on a motor-driven treadmill for 16-22 wk while the SED pigs remained confined to their pens. After training, heart weight-to-body weight ratio, skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, and exercise tolerance were significantly increased in ET pigs compared with SED pigs. Coronary resistance arteries 75-150 mu m diam were isolated for in vitro evaluation of myogenic responses to changes in intraluminal pressure in the absence of intraluminal flow. Coronary resistance arteries from ET and SED pigs developed spontaneous tone at 40 mmHg intraluminal pressure. Active changes in diameter measured in response to intraluminal pressures <40 mmHg were similar in coronary resistance arteries from ET and SED pigs. When pressure was raised above 40 mmHg, myogenic constriction was greater in coronary resistance arteries from ET pigs, as indicated by significantly greater reductions in diameter. At 60 and 70 mmHg intraluminal pressure, constriction was 8 and 16% greater, respectively, in resistance arteries from ET pigs. After maximal relaxation with sodium nitroprusside (100 mu M), passive diameter changes measured in response to changes in intraluminal pressure from 10 to 80 mmHg were not significantly different in coronary resistance arteries from ET and SED pigs. We conclude that, contrary to our hypothesis, exercise training in pigs enhances myogenic constrictor responses in coronary resistance arteries. This enhancement in myogenic responses may be indicative of training-induced alterations in vascular smooth muscle responses in the coronary circulation.