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Updated: May 31, 2026
06:28
A Chronic High-Intensity Interval Training and Diet-Induced Obesity Model to Maximize Exercise Effort and Induce Physiologic Changes in Rats
Published on: April 28, 2023
Improved functional vasodilation in obese Zucker rats following exercise training
Mohamad Sebai1, Silu Lu, Lusha Xiang
1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39215-4505, USA.
Summary
Exercise training improves blood vessel function in obese rats by reducing thromboxane receptor-mediated constriction, linked to better insulin sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Metabolic Disorders
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Obesity is linked to impaired vasodilation and exercise capacity.
- Insulin resistance in obese Zucker rats (OZ) contributes to poor functional vasodilation through increased thromboxane receptor (TP)-mediated vasoconstriction.
- Exercise training improves vasodilation in obese models, but the underlying mechanisms require clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if exercise training improves functional vasodilation in obese Zucker rats (OZ) by decreasing TP-mediated vasoconstriction, associated with improved insulin sensitivity.
- To determine if exercise training exerts a systemic effect on insulin resistance and vasodilation in OZ.
- To compare the effects of exercise training on vasodilation in different muscle beds (spinotrapezius and cremaster).
Main Methods:
- Six-week-old lean Zucker rats (LZ) and OZ underwent 6 weeks of treadmill exercise.
- Oral glucose tolerance tests were conducted post-training.
- Functional vasodilation was measured in spinotrapezius and cremaster muscles, with and without TP antagonist (SQ-29548).
Main Results:
- Sedentary OZ showed impaired glucose tolerance and vasodilation compared to LZ.
- TP antagonist improved vasodilation in sedentary OZ but not LZ.
- Exercise training in OZ improved glucose tolerance and functional vasodilation in both muscles.
- Exercise training abolished the effect of the TP antagonist on vasodilation in OZ, suggesting reduced TP-mediated vasoconstriction.
Conclusions:
- Exercise training globally improves insulin resistance in obese Zucker rats.
- Improved insulin sensitivity following exercise training leads to enhanced functional vasodilation.
- The beneficial effects of exercise on vasodilation in obese rats are mediated by a reduction in thromboxane receptor-mediated vasoconstriction.
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