Effects of aerobic exercise on cardiomyocytes of the right atrium in young and aged rats

• Grant number: 13/00423-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2013
• End date: March 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Effort
• Principal Investigator: Romeu Rodrigues de Souza
• Grantee: Jessica Andrade de Lima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Universidade São Judas Tadeu (USJT). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The cardiomyocytes of the atria produce a hormone named atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), which acts on blood pressure control. As the blood pressure values in the elderly are larger than the young, the production of ANP in the elderly is also higher. It is known that exercise has influence in the production of ANP in the atria. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that there are differences in the secretory apparatus of ANP between young and old exercised and not exercised. In this work it will be performed a quantitative ultrastructural study to evaluate the possible differences in the effects of aerobic exercise on the number density (number/100 µm²) and in the area of ANP granules (µm²), the density of pores in the nuclear membrane, the relative volume of euchromatin nuclear density, in the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum present in the cytoplasm of cardiomyocytes (all in% per field) in young and old Wistar rats. The following groups will be studied: Young sedentary group (YSG), Young exercised group (YEG), Old sedentary group (OSG) and Old exercised group (OEG). 5 animals will be used per group. The values obtained will be statistically compared between groups by ANOVA and pos hoc Tukey´s test. (AU)