| Keywords |
Tower climbing exercise ; Arterial blood pressure ; eNOS mRNA ; Plasma NO ; Diabetic rats |
| Abstract |
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of tower climbing exercise on arterial blood pressure and endothelial function in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control group (CG; n = 10); diabetic control group (DG; n =10); diabetic exercise group (DEG; n = 10). Exercise training consisted of 8 weeks of tower climbing exercise. Endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) mRNA by RT-PCR were assessed. After a period of 8 weeks of tower climbing exercise, systolic blood pressure and plasma glucose were significant lower (P<0.05) in the diabetic exercise group than the diabetic control group. eNOS mRNA and plasma NO were significantly increased (P<0.05) in the diabetic exercise group compared with the diabetic control group. Present findings indicate beneficial effects of tower climbing exercise in diabetic rats since it increased plasma NO and eNOS content in the aortic wall. In conclusion, longterm resistance training, under the tested conditions in this study, is able to prevent an increase in systolic blood pressure. |