The effects of aging on capillary hemodynamics in contracting rat spinotrapezius muscle

Erythrocyte metabolism

Our aim is to present an updated overview of the erythrocyte metabolism highlighting its richness and complexity. We have manually collected and connected the available biochemical pathways and integrated them into a functional metabolic map. The focus of this map is on the main biochemical pathways consisting of glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, redox metabolism, oxygen metabolism, purine/nucleoside metabolism, and membrane transport. Other recently emerging pathways are also curated, like the methionine salvage pathway, the glyoxalase system, carnitine metabolism, and the lands cycle, as well as remnants of the carboxylic acid metabolism. An additional goal of this review is to present the dynamics of erythrocyte metabolism, providing key numbers used to perform basic quantitative analyses. By synthesizing experimental and computational data, we conclude that glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and redox metabolism are the foundations of erythrocyte metabolism. Additionally, the erythrocyte can sense oxygen levels and oxidative stress adjusting its mechanics, metabolism, and function. In conclusion, fine-tuning of erythrocyte metabolism controls one of the most important biological processes, that is, oxygen loading, transport, and delivery.

The role of the microcirculation and integrative cardiovascular physiology in the pathogenesis of ICU-acquired weakness

Skeletal muscle dysfunction after critical illness, defined as ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW), is a complex and multifactorial syndrome that contributes significantly to long-term morbidity and reduced quality of life for ICU survivors and caregivers. Historically, research in this field has focused on pathological changes within the muscle itself, without much consideration for their in vivo physiological environment. Skeletal muscle has the widest range of oxygen metabolism of any organ, and regulation of oxygen supply with tissue demand is a fundamental requirement for locomotion and muscle function. During exercise, this process is exquisitely controlled and coordinated by the cardiovascular, respiratory, and autonomic systems, and also within the skeletal muscle microcirculation and mitochondria as the terminal site of oxygen exchange and utilization. This review highlights the potential contribution of the microcirculation and integrative cardiovascular physiology to the pathogenesis of ICU-AW. An overview of skeletal muscle microvascular structure and function is provided, as well as our understanding of microvascular dysfunction during the acute phase of critical illness; whether microvascular dysfunction persists after ICU discharge is currently not known. Molecular mechanisms that regulate crosstalk between endothelial cells and myocytes are discussed, including the role of the microcirculation in skeletal muscle atrophy, oxidative stress, and satellite cell biology. The concept of integrated control of oxygen delivery and utilization during exercise is introduced, with evidence of physiological dysfunction throughout the oxygen delivery pathway - from mouth to mitochondria - causing reduced exercise capacity in patients with chronic disease (e.g., heart failure, COPD). We suggest that objective and perceived weakness after critical illness represents a physiological failure of oxygen supply-demand matching - both globally throughout the body and locally within skeletal muscle. Lastly, we highlight the value of standardized cardiopulmonary exercise testing protocols for evaluating fitness in ICU survivors, and the application of near-infrared spectroscopy for directly measuring skeletal muscle oxygenation, representing potential advancements in ICU-AW research and rehabilitation.

Effects of pulmonary hypertension on microcirculatory hemodynamics in rat skeletal muscle

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has previously been characterized as a disease of the pulmonary vasculature that subsequently results in myocardial dysfunction. Heart failure compromises skeletal muscle microvascular function, which contributes to exercise intolerance. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that such changes might be present in PH. Thus, we investigated skeletal muscle oxygen (O₂) transport in the rat model of PH to determine if O₂ delivery (Q̇O₂) is impaired at the level of the microcirculation as evidenced via reduced red blood cell (RBC) flux, velocity, hematocrit, and percentage of capillaries flowing in quiescent muscle. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into healthy (n = 9) and PH groups (n = 9). Progressive PH was induced via a one-time intraperitoneal injection of monocrotaline (MCT; 50 mg/kg) and rats were monitored weekly via echocardiography. Intravital microscopy in the spinotrapezius muscle was performed when echocardiograms confirmed moderate PH (preceding right ventricular (RV) failure). At 25 ± 9 days post-MCT, PH rats displayed RV hypertrophy (RV/(Left ventricle + Septum): 0.28 ± 0.05 vs. 0.44 ± 0.11), pulmonary congestion, and increased right ventricular systolic pressure (21 ± 8 vs. 55 ± 14 mm Hg) compared to healthy rats (all P < 0.05). Reduced capillary RBC velocity (403 ± 140 vs. 227 ± 84 μm/s; P = 0.01), RBC flux (33 ± 12 vs. 23 ± 5 RBCs/s; P = 0.04) and % of capillaries supporting continuous RBC flux at rest (79 ± 8 vs. 56 ± 13%; P = 0.01) were evident in PH rats compared to healthy rats. When Q̇O₂ within a given field of view was quantified (RBC flux x % of capillaries supporting continuous RBC flux), PH rats demonstrated lower overall Q̇O₂ (↓ 50%; P = 0.002). These data support that microcirculatory hemodynamic impairments (↓ Q̇O₂ and therefore altered Q̇O₂-to-V̇O₂ matching) may compromise blood-myocyte O₂ transport in PH. The mechanistic bases for decreased capillary RBC flux, velocity, and percentage of capillaries supporting RBC flow remains an important topic.

Regulation of capillary hemodynamics by KATP channels in resting skeletal muscle

ATP-sensitive K⁺ channels (K_ATP ) have been implicated in the regulation of resting vascular smooth muscle membrane potential and tone. However, whether K_ATP channels modulate skeletal muscle microvascular hemodynamics at the capillary level (the primary site for blood-myocyte O₂ exchange) remains unknown. We tested the hypothesis that K_ATP channel inhibition would reduce the proportion of capillaries supporting continuous red blood cell (RBC) flow and impair RBC hemodynamics and distribution in perfused capillaries within resting skeletal muscle. RBC flux (f_RBC ), velocity (V_RBC ), and capillary tube hematocrit (Hct_cap ) were assessed via intravital microscopy of the rat spinotrapezius muscle (n = 6) under control (CON) and glibenclamide (GLI; K_ATP channel antagonist; 10 µM) superfusion conditions. There were no differences in mean arterial pressure (CON:120 ± 5, GLI:124 ± 5 mmHg; p > 0.05) or heart rate (CON:322 ± 32, GLI:337 ± 33 beats/min; p > 0.05) between conditions. The %RBC-flowing capillaries were not altered between conditions (CON:87 ± 2, GLI:85 ± 1%; p > 0.05). In RBC-perfused capillaries, GLI reduced f_RBC (CON:20.1 ± 1.8, GLI:14.6 ± 1.3 cells/s; p < 0.05) and V_RBC (CON:240 ± 17, GLI:182 ± 17 µm/s; p < 0.05) but not Hct_cap (CON:0.26 ± 0.01, GLI:0.26 ± 0.01; p > 0.05). The absence of GLI effects on the %RBC-flowing capillaries and Hct_cap indicates preserved muscle O₂ diffusing capacity (DO₂ m). In contrast, GLI lowered both f_RBC and V_RBC thus impairing perfusive microvascular O₂ transport (Q̇m) and lengthening RBC capillary transit times, respectively. Given the interdependence between diffusive and perfusive O₂ conductances (i.e., %O₂ extraction∝DO₂ m/Q̇m), such GLI alterations are expected to elevate muscle %O₂ extraction to sustain a given metabolic rate. These results support that K_ATP channels regulate capillary hemodynamics and, therefore, microvascular gas exchange in resting skeletal muscle.

The capillary fascicle in skeletal muscle: Structural and functional physiology of RBC distribution in capillary networks

KEY POINTS

The capillary module, consisting of parallel capillaries from arteriole to venule, is classically considered as the building block of complex capillary networks. In skeletal muscle, this structure fails to address how blood flow is regulated along the entire length of the synchronously contracting muscle fibres. Using intravital video microscopy of resting extensor digitorum longus muscle in rats, we demonstrated the capillary fascicle as a series of interconnected modules forming continuous columns that align naturally with the dimensions of the muscle fascicle. We observed structural heterogeneity for module topology, and functional heterogeneity in space and time for capillary-red blood cell (RBC) haemodynamics within a module and between modules. We found that module RBC haemodynamics were independent of module resistance, providing direct evidence for microvascular flow regulation at the level of the capillary module. The capillary fascicle is an updated paradigm for characterizing blood flow and RBC distribution in skeletal muscle capillary networks.

ABSTRACT

Capillary networks are the fundamental site of oxygen exchange in the microcirculation. The capillary module (CM), consisting of parallel capillaries from terminal arteriole (TA) to post-capillary venule (PCV), is classically considered as the building block of complex capillary networks. In skeletal muscle, this structure fails to address how blood flow is regulated along the entire length of the synchronously contracting muscle fibres, requiring co-ordination from numerous modules. It has previously been recognized that TAs and PCVs interact with multiple CMs, creating interconnected networks. Using label-free intravital video microscopy of resting extensor digitorum longus muscle in rats, we found that these networks form continuous columns of linked CMs spanning thousands of microns, herein denoted as the capillary fascicle (CF); this structure aligns naturally with the dimensions of the muscle fascicle. We measured capillary-red blood cell (RBC) haemodynamics and module topology (n = 9 networks, 327 modules, 1491 capillary segments). The average module had length 481 μm, width 157 μm and 9.51 parallel capillaries. We observed structural heterogeneity for CM topology, and functional heterogeneity in space and time for capillary-RBC haemodynamics within a module and between modules. There was no correlation between capillary RBC velocity and lineal density. A passive inverse relationship between module length and haemodynamics was remarkably absent, providing direct evidence for microvascular flow regulation at the level of the CM. In summary, the CF is an updated paradigm for characterizing RBC distribution in skeletal muscle, and strengthens the theory of capillary networks as major contributors to the signal that regulates capillary perfusion.

Exercise intolerance and rapid skeletal muscle energetic decline in human age-associated frailty

BACKGROUND

Physical frailty in older individuals is characterized by subjective symptoms of fatigue and exercise intolerance (EI). Objective abnormalities in skeletal muscle (SM) mitochondrial high-energy phosphate (HEP) metabolism contribute to EI in inherited myopathies; however, their presence or link to EI in the frail older adult is unknown.

METHODS

Here, we studied 3 groups of ambulatory, community-dwelling adults with no history of significant coronary disease: frail older (FO) individuals (81 ± 2.7 years, mean ± SEM), nonfrail older (NFO) individuals (79 ± 2.0 years), and healthy middle-aged individuals, who served as controls (CONT, 51 ± 2.1 years). Lower extremity SM HEP levels and mitochondrial function were measured with ³¹P magnetic resonance (MR) techniques during graded multistage plantar flexion exercise (PFE). EI was quantified by a 6-minute walk (6MW) and peak oxygen consumption during cardiopulmonary testing (peak VO₂).

RESULTS

During graded exercise, FO, NFO, and CONT individuals all fatigued at similar SM HEP levels, as measured by ³¹P-MR. However, FO individuals fatigued fastest, with several-fold higher rates of PFE-induced HEP decline that correlated closely with shorter exercise duration in the MR scanner and with 6MW distance and lower peak oxygen consumption on cardiopulmonary testing (P < 0.001 for all). SM mitochondrial oxidative capacity was lower in older individuals and correlated with rapid HEP decline but less closely with EI.

CONCLUSION

Several-fold faster SM energetic decline during exercise occurs in FO individuals and correlates closely with multiple measures of EI. Rapid energetic decline represents an objective, functional measure of SM metabolic changes and a potential new target for mitigating frailty-associated physical limitations.

FUNDING

This work was supported by NIH R21 AG045634, R01 AG063661, R01 HL61912, the Johns Hopkins University Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center P30AG021334, and the Clarence Doodeman Endowment in Cardiology at Johns Hopkins.

Rapid exercise-induced skeletal muscle high-energy phosphate decline occurs in frail, older individuals and is closely linked to exercise intolerance and fatigue.

August Krogh's theory of muscle microvascular control and oxygen delivery: a paradigm shift based on new data

August Krogh twice won the prestigious international Steegen Prize, for nitrogen metabolism (1906) and overturning the concept of active transport of gases across the pulmonary epithelium (1910). Despite this, at the beginning of 1920, the consummate experimentalist was relatively unknown worldwide and even among his own University of Copenhagen faculty. But, in early 1919, he had submitted three papers to Dr Langley, then editor of The Journal of Physiology in England. These papers coalesced anatomical observations of skeletal muscle capillary numbers with O₂ diffusion theory to propose a novel active role for capillaries that explained the prodigious increase in blood-muscle O₂ flux from rest to exercise. Despite his own appraisal of the first two papers as "rather dull" to his friend, the eminent Cambridge respiratory physiologist, Joseph Barcroft, Krogh believed that the third one, dealing with O₂ supply and capillary regulation, was"interesting". These papers, which won Krogh an unopposed Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1920, form the foundation for this review. They single-handedly transformed the role of capillaries from passive conduit and exchange vessels, functioning at the mercy of their upstream arterioles, into independent contractile units that were predominantly closed at rest and opened actively during muscle contractions in a process he termed 'capillary recruitment'. Herein we examine Krogh's findings and some of the experimental difficulties he faced. In particular, the boundary conditions selected for his model (e.g. heavily anaesthetized animals, negligible intramyocyte O₂ partial pressure, binary open-closed capillary function) have not withstood the test of time. Subsequently, we update the reader with intervening discoveries that underpin our current understanding of muscle microcirculatory control and place a retrospectroscope on Krogh's discoveries. The perspective is presented that the imprimatur of the Nobel Prize, in this instance, may have led scientists to discount compelling evidence. Much as he and Marie Krogh demonstrated that active transport of gases across the blood-gas barrier was unnecessary in the lung, capillaries in skeletal muscle do not open and close spontaneously or actively, nor is this necessary to account for the increase in blood-muscle O₂ flux during exercise. Thus, a contemporary model of capillary function features most muscle capillaries supporting blood flow at rest, and, rather than capillaries actively vasodilating from rest to exercise, increased blood-myocyte O₂ flux occurs predominantly via elevating red blood cell and plasma flux in already flowing capillaries. Krogh is lauded for his brilliance as an experimentalist and for raising scientific questions that led to fertile avenues of investigation, including the study of microvascular function.

Effect of differential muscle activation patterns on muscle deoxygenation and microvascular haemoglobin regulation

NEW FINDINGS

What is the central question of this study? Does the presence and extent of heterogeneity in the ratio of O2 delivery to uptake across human muscles relate specifically to different muscle activation patterns? What is the main finding and its importance? During ramp incremental knee-extension and cycling exercise, the profiles of muscle deoxygenation (deoxy[haemoglobin + myoglobin]) and diffusive O2 potential (total[haemoglobin + myoglobin]) in the vastus lateralis corresponded to different muscle activation strategies. However, this was not the case for the rectus femoris, where muscle activation and deoxygenation profiles were dissociated and might therefore be determined by other structural and/or functional attributes (e.g. arteriolar vascular regulation and control of red blood cell flux).

ABSTRACT

Near-infrared spectroscopy has revealed considerable heterogeneity in the ratio of O2 delivery to uptake as identified by disparate deoxygenation {deoxy[haemoglobin + myoglobin] (deoxy[Hb + Mb])} values in the exercising quadriceps. However, whether this represents a recruitment phenomenon or contrasting vascular and metabolic control, as seen among fibre types, has not been established. We used knee-extension (KE) and cycling (CE) incremental exercise protocols to examine whether differential muscle activation profiles could account for the heterogeneity of deoxy[Hb + Mb] and microvascular haemoconcentration (i.e. total[Hb + Mb]). Using time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy for the quadriceps femoris (vastus lateralis and rectus femoris) during exhaustive ramp exercise in eight participants, we tested the following hypotheses: (i) the deoxy[Hb + Mb] (i.e. fractional O2 extraction) would relate to muscle activation levels across exercise protocols; and (ii) KE would induce greater total[Hb + Mb] (i.e. diffusive O2 potential) at task failure (i.e. peak O2 uptake) than CE irrespective of muscle site. At a given level of muscle activation, as assessed by the relative integrated EMG normalized to maximal voluntary contraction (%iEMGmax ), the vastus lateralis deoxy[Hb + Mb] profile was not different between exercise protocols. However, at peak O2 uptake and until 20% iEMGmax for CE, rectus femoris exhibited a lower deoxy[Hb + Mb] (83.2 ± 15.5 versus 98.2 ± 19.4 μm) for KE than for CE (P < 0.05). The total[Hb + Mb] at peak O2 uptake was not different between exercise protocols for either muscle site. These data support the hypothesis that the contrasting patterns of convective and diffusive O2 transport correspond to different muscle activation patterns in vastus lateralis but not rectus femoris. Thus, the differential deoxygenation profiles for rectus femoris across exercise protocols might be dependent upon specific facets of muscle architecture and functional haemodynamic events.

Edward F. Adolph Distinguished Lecture. Contemporary model of muscle microcirculation: gateway to function and dysfunction

This review strikes at the very heart of how the microcirculation functions to facilitate blood-tissue oxygen, substrate, and metabolite fluxes in skeletal muscle. Contemporary evidence, marshalled from animals and humans using the latest techniques, challenges iconic perspectives that have changed little over the past century. Those perspectives include the following: the presence of contractile or collapsible capillaries in muscle, unitary control by precapillary sphincters, capillary recruitment at the onset of contractions, and the notion of capillary-to-mitochondrial diffusion distances as limiting O₂ delivery. Today a wealth of physiological, morphological, and intravital microscopy evidence presents a completely different picture of microcirculatory control. Specifically, capillary red blood cell (RBC) and plasma flux is controlled primarily at the arteriolar level with most capillaries, in healthy muscle, supporting at least some flow at rest. In healthy skeletal muscle, this permits substrate access (whether carried in RBCs or plasma) to a prodigious total capillary surface area. Pathologies such as heart failure or diabetes decrease access to that exchange surface by reducing the proportion of flowing capillaries at rest and during exercise. Capillary morphology and function vary disparately among tissues. The contemporary model of capillary function explains how, following the onset of exercise, muscle O₂ uptake kinetics can be extremely fast in health but slowed in heart failure and diabetes impairing contractile function and exercise tolerance. It is argued that adoption of this model is fundamental for understanding microvascular function and dysfunction and, as such, to the design and evaluation of effective therapeutic strategies to improve exercise tolerance and decrease morbidity and mortality in disease.

On the Physics Underlying Longitudinal Capillary Recruitment

Numerous researchers have found that capillary vessel haematocrit depends on the vasodilatory state of the arterioles. At rest, vessel haematocrit is down to 15 %, suggesting a red blood cell velocity three times higher than the plasma velocity. This finding is analysed in the context of present understanding of propulsion of red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma by means of the arteriovenous pressure gradient. Interfacial forces between the red blood cells and the plasma are proposed as a rational explanation of the observed red blood cell velocities. While the arteriovenous pressure gradient across the capillaries propels the red blood cell and the plasma jointly, interfacial forces along the red blood cell membrane can propel RBCs at the cost of the plasma. Different options are explored for the physical origin of these interfacial forces and oxygen gradients are found to be the most probable source.

Skeletal muscle interstitial O2 pressures: bridging the gap between the capillary and myocyte

The oxygen transport pathway from air to mitochondria involves a series of transfer steps within closely integrated systems (pulmonary, cardiovascular, and tissue metabolic). Small and finite O₂ stores in most mammalian species require exquisitely controlled changes in O₂ flux rates to support elevated ATP turnover. This is especially true for the contracting skeletal muscle where O₂ requirements may increase two orders of magnitude above rest. This brief review focuses on the mechanistic bases for increased microvascular blood-myocyte O₂ flux (V̇O₂ ) from rest to contractions. Fick's law dictates that V̇O₂ elevations driven by muscle contractions are produced by commensurate changes in driving force (ie, O₂ pressure gradients; ΔPO₂ ) and/or effective diffusing capacity (DO₂ ). While previous evidence indicates that increased DO₂ helps modulate contracting muscle O₂ flux, up until recently the role of the dynamic ΔPO₂ across the capillary wall was unknown. Recent phosphorescence quenching investigations of both microvascular and novel interstitial PO₂ kinetics in health have resolved an important step in the O₂ cascade between the capillary and myocyte. Specifically, the significant transmural ΔPO₂ at rest was sustained (but not increased) during submaximal contractions. This supports the contention that the blood-myocyte interface provides a substantial effective resistance to O₂ diffusion and underscores that modulations in erythrocyte hemodynamics and distribution (DO₂ ) are crucial to preserve the driving force for O₂ flux across the capillary wall (ΔPO₂ ) during contractions. Investigation of the O₂ transport pathway close to muscle mitochondria is key to identifying disease mechanisms and develop therapeutic approaches to ameliorate dysfunction and exercise intolerance.

Effect of healthy aging and sex on middle cerebral artery blood velocity dynamics during moderate-intensity exercise

Blood velocity measured in the middle cerebral artery (MCA_V) increases with finite kinetics during moderate-intensity exercise, and the amplitude and dynamics of the response provide invaluable insights into the controlling mechanisms. The MCA_V response after exercise onset is well fit to an exponential model in young individuals but remains to be characterized in their older counterparts. The responsiveness of vasomotor control degrades with advancing age, especially in skeletal muscle. We tested the hypothesis that older subjects would evince a slower and reduced MCA_V response to exercise. Twenty-nine healthy young (25 ± 1 yr old) and older (69 ± 1 yr old) adults each performed a rapid transition from rest to moderate-intensity exercise on a recumbent stepper. Resting MCA_V was lower in older than young subjects (47 ± 2 vs. 64 ± 3 cm/s, P < 0.001), and amplitude from rest to steady-state exercise was lower in older than young subjects (12 ± 2 vs. 18 ± 3 cm/s, P = 0.04), even after subjects were matched for work rate. As hypothesized, the time constant was significantly longer (slower) in the older than young subjects (51 ± 10 vs. 31 ± 4 s, P = 0.03), driven primarily by older women. Neither age-related differences in fitness, end-tidal CO₂, nor blood pressure could account for this effect. Thus, MCA_V kinetic analyses revealed a marked impairment in the cerebrovascular response to exercise in older individuals. Kinetic analysis offers a novel approach to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic interventions for improving cerebrovascular function in elderly and patient populations. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Understanding the dynamic cerebrovascular response to exercise has provided insights into sex-related cerebrovascular control mechanisms throughout the aging process. We report novel differences in the kinetics response of cerebrovascular blood velocity after the onset of moderate-intensity exercise. The exponential increase in brain blood flow from rest to exercise revealed that 1) the kinetics profile of the older group was blunted compared with their young counterparts and 2) the older women demonstrated a slowed response.

Skeletal muscle microvascular and interstitial PO2 from rest to contractions

KEY POINTS

Oxygen pressure gradients across the microvascular walls are essential for oxygen diffusion from blood to tissue cells. At any given flux, the magnitude of these transmural gradients is proportional to the local resistance. The greatest resistance to oxygen transport into skeletal muscle is considered to reside in the short distance between red blood cells and myocytes. Although crucial to oxygen transport, little is known about transmural pressure gradients within skeletal muscle during contractions. We evaluated oxygen pressures within both the skeletal muscle microvascular and interstitial spaces to determine transmural gradients during the rest-contraction transient in anaesthetized rats. The significant transmural gradient observed at rest was sustained during submaximal muscle contractions. Our findings support that the blood-myocyte interface provides substantial resistance to oxygen diffusion at rest and during contractions and suggest that modulations in microvascular haemodynamics and red blood cell distribution constitute primary mechanisms driving increased transmural oxygen flux with contractions.

ABSTRACT

Oxygen pressure (PO2) gradients across the blood-myocyte interface are required for diffusive O₂ transport, thereby supporting oxidative metabolism. The greatest resistance to O₂ flux into skeletal muscle is considered to reside between the erythrocyte surface and adjacent sarcolemma, although this has not been measured during contractions. We tested the hypothesis that O₂ gradients between skeletal muscle microvascular (PO2 mv ) and interstitial (PO2 is ) spaces would be present at rest and maintained or increased during contractions. PO2 mv and PO2 is   were determined via phosphorescence quenching (Oxyphor probes G2 and G4, respectively) in the exposed rat spinotrapezius during the rest-contraction transient (1 Hz, 6 V; n = 8). PO2 mv was higher than PO2 is in all instances from rest (34.9 ± 6.0 versus 15.7 ± 6.4) to contractions (28.4 ± 5.3 versus 10.6 ± 5.2 mmHg, respectively) such that the mean PO2 gradient throughout the transient was 16.9 ± 6.6 mmHg (P < 0.05 for all). No differences in the amplitude of PO2 fall with contractions were observed between the microvasculature and interstitium (10.9 ± 2.3 versus 9.0 ± 3.5 mmHg, respectively; P > 0.05). However, the speed of the PO2 is fall during contractions was slower than that of PO2 mv (time constant: 12.8 ± 4.7 versus 9.0 ± 5.1 s, respectively; P < 0.05). Consistent with our hypothesis, a significant transmural gradient was sustained (but not increased) from rest to contractions. This supports that the blood-myocyte interface is the site of a substantial PO2 gradient driving O₂ diffusion during metabolic transients. Based on Fick's law, elevated O₂ flux with contractions must thus rely primarily on modulations in effective diffusing capacity (mainly erythrocyte haemodynamics and distribution) as the PO2 gradient is not increased.

Age-related endothelial dysfunction in human skeletal muscle feed arteries: the role of free radicals derived from mitochondria in the vasculature

AIM

This study sought to determine the role of free radicals derived from mitochondria in the vasculature in the recognized age-related endothelial dysfunction of human skeletal muscle feed arteries (SMFAs).

METHODS

A total of 44 SMFAs were studied with and without acute exposure to the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoQ and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) blockade. The relative abundance of proteins from the electron transport chain, phosphorylated (p-) to endothelial (e) NOS ratio, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and the mitochondria-derived superoxide (O2-) levels were assessed in SMFA. Endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent SMFA vasodilation was assessed in response to flow-induced shear stress, acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP).

RESULTS

MitoQ restored endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the old to that of the young when stimulated by both flow (young: 68 ± 5; old: 25 ± 7; old + MitoQ 65 ± 9%) and ACh (young: 97 ± 4; old: 59 ± 10; old + MitoQ: 98 ± 5%), but did not alter the initially uncompromised, endothelium-independent vasodilation (SNP). Compared to the young, MitoQ in the old diminished the initially elevated mitochondria-derived O2- levels and appeared to attenuate the breakdown of MnSOD. Furthermore, MitoQ increased the ratio of p-eNOS to NOS and the restoration of endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the old by MitoQ was ablated by NOS blockade.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that MitoQ reverses age-related vascular dysfunction by what appears to be an NO-dependent mechanism in human SMFAs. These findings suggest that mitochondria-targeted antioxidants may have utility in terms of counteracting the attenuated blood flow and vascular dysfunction associated with advancing age.

Effects of aging and exercise training on the dynamics of vasoconstriction in skeletal muscle resistance vessels

It is unknown whether aging or exercise training affect the dynamics of arteriolar vasoconstriction.

PURPOSE

We hypothesized that old age will slow, and exercise training will speed, the dynamics of skeletal muscle arteriolar vasoconstriction in resistance vessels of aged rats.

METHOD

Young (6 month old) and aged (24 month old) male Fischer-344 rats were assigned to sedentary (Sed: n = 6/age group) or exercise-trained (ET: n = 5 aged and 6 young; via treadmill running for 10-12 weeks) groups. After completion of training, arterioles from the red portion of the gastrocnemius muscle were removed, cannulated, and exposed to 10^-4 M norepinephrine (NE) or 20 mM caffeine. Changes in luminal diameter were recorded for analysis of constrictor dynamics.

RESULT

Old age blunted all kinetic parameters (i.e., time delay, time constant) resulting in vasoconstriction taking ~3 times as long to reach a steady state (SS) versus younger counterparts for NE (aged-sed: 15.6 ± 6.0 versus young-sed: 4.6 ± 0.5 s; P < 0.05) with a similar time course to caffeine. Exercise training resulted in a similar time to SS between age groups for NE (aged-ET: 6.8 ± 1.6 versus young-ET: 7.0 ± 0.6 s) and caffeine (aged-ET: 7.8 ± 0.6 versus young-ET: 8.6 ± 1.0 s).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study demonstrate that aging blunts the rate of vasoconstriction in skeletal muscle resistance vessels to the sympathetic neurotransmitter NE due, in part, to an attenuated rate of contraction from intracellular calcium release. Further, exercise training speeds the dynamics of constriction to both NE and caffeine with old age.

Impact of age on the vasodilatory function of human skeletal muscle feed arteries

Although advancing age is often associated with attenuated skeletal muscle blood flow and skeletal muscle feed arteries (SMFAs) have been recognized to play a regulatory role in the vasculature, little is known about the impact of age on the vasodilatory capacity of human SMFAs. Therefore, endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation were assessed in SMFAs (diameter: 544 ± 63 μm) obtained from 24 (equally represented) young (33 ± 2 yr) and old (71 ± 2 yr) subjects in response to three stimuli: 1) flow-induced shear stress, 2) ACh, and 3) sodium nitropusside (SNP). Both assessments of endothelium-dependent vasodilation, flow (young subjects: 68 ± 1% and old subjects: 32 ± 7%) and ACh (young subjects: 92 ± 3% and old subjects: 73 ± 4%), were significantly blunted (P < 0.05) in SMFAs of old compared with young subjects, with no such age-related differences in endothelium-independent vasodilation (SNP). In response to an increase in flow-induced shear stress, vasodilation kinetics (time constant to reach 63% of the amplitude of the response: 55 ± 1 s in young subjects and 92 ± 7 s in old subjects) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation (phospho-eNOS(s1177)/total eNOS: 1.0 ± 0.1 in young subjects and 0.2 ± 0.1 in old subjects) were also significantly attenuated in old compared with young subjects (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the vessel superoxide concentration was greater in old subjects (old subjects: 3.9 ± 1.0 area under curve/mg and young subjects: 1.7 ± 0.1 area under the curve/mg, P < 0.05). These findings reveal that the endothelium-dependent vasodilatory capacity, including vasodilation kinetics but not smooth muscle function, of human SMFAs is blunted with age and may be due to free radicals. Given the potential regulatory role of SMFAs in skeletal muscle blood flow, these findings may explain, at least in part, the often observed attenuated perfusion of skeletal muscle with advancing age that may contribute to exercise intolerance in the elderly.

Redox signalling and cardioprotection: translatability and mechanism

The morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD) remain significant worldwide. The treatment for acute myocardial infarction has improved over the past decades, including early reperfusion of culprit coronary arteries. Although it is mandatory to reperfuse the ischaemic territory as soon as possible, paradoxically this leads to additional myocardial injury, namely ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, in which redox stress plays a pivotal role and for which no effective therapy is currently available. In this review, we report evidence that the redox environment plays a pivotal role not only in I/R injury but also in cardioprotection. In fact, cardioprotective strategies, such as pre- and post-conditioning, result in a robust reduction in infarct size in animals and the role of redox signalling is of paramount importance in these conditioning strategies. Nitrosative signalling and cysteine redox modifications, such as S-nitrosation/S-nitrosylation, are also emerging as very important mechanisms in conditioning cardioprotection. The reasons for the switch from protective oxidative/nitrosative signalling to deleterious oxidative/nitrosative/nitrative stress are not fully understood. The complex regulation of this switch is, at least in part, responsible for the diminished or lack of cardioprotection induced by conditioning protocols observed in ageing animals and with co-morbidities as well as in humans. Therefore, it is important to understand at a mechanistic level the reasons for these differences before proposing a safe and useful transition of ischaemic or pharmacological conditioning. Indeed, more mechanistic novel therapeutic strategies are required to protect the heart from I/R injury and to improve clinical outcomes in patients with CAD.

Tissue oxygen demand in regulation of the behavior of the cells in the vasculature

The control of arteriolar diameters in microvasculature has been in the focus of studies on mechanisms matching oxygen demand and supply at the tissue level. Functionally, important vascular elements include EC, VSMC, and RBC. Integration of these different cell types into functional units aimed at matching tissue oxygen supply with tissue oxygen demand is only achieved when all these cells can respond to the signals of tissue oxygen demand. Many vasoactive agents that serve as signals of tissue oxygen demand have their receptors on all these types of cells (VSMC, EC, and RBC) implying that there can be a coordinated regulation of their behavior by the tissue oxygen demand. Such functions of RBC as oxygen carrying by Hb, rheology, and release of vasoactive agents are considered. Several common extra- and intracellular signaling pathways that link tissue oxygen demand with control of VSMC contractility, EC permeability, and RBC functioning are discussed.

Skeletal muscle capillary function: contemporary observations and novel hypotheses

The capillary bed constitutes a vast surface that facilitates exchange of O2, substrates and metabolites between blood and organs. In contracting skeletal muscle, capillary blood flow and O2 diffusing capacity, as well as O2 flux, may increase two orders of magnitude above resting values. Chronic diseases, such as heart failure and diabetes, and also sepsis impair these processes, leading to compromised energetic, metabolic and, ultimately, contractile function. Among researchers seeking to understand blood-myocyte exchange in health and the basis for dysfunction in disease, there is a fundamental disconnect between microcirculation specialists and many physiologists and physiologist clinicians. While the former observe capillaries and capillary function directly (muscle intravital microscopy), the latter generally use indirect methodologies (e.g. post-mortem tissue analysis, 1-methyl xanthine, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, permeability-surface area product) and interpret their findings based upon August Krogh's observations made nearly a century ago. 'Kroghian' theory holds that only a small fraction of capillaries support red blood cell (RBC) flux in resting muscle, leaving the vast majority to be 'recruited' (i.e. to initiate RBC flux) during contractions, which would constitute the basis for increasing surface area for capillary exchange and reducing capillary-mitochondrial diffusion distances. Experimental techniques each have their strengths and weaknesses, and often the correct or complete answer to a problem emerges from integration across multiple technologies. Today, Krogh's entrenched 'capillary recruitment' hypothesis is challenged by direct observations of capillaries in contracting muscle, which is something that he and his colleagues could not do. Moreover, in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, application of a range of contemporary physiological technologies, including intravital microscopy of contracting muscle, magnetic resonance, near-infrared spectroscopy and phosphorescence quenching, combined with elegant in situ and in vivo models, suggest that the role of the capillary bed, at least in contracting muscle, is subserved without the necessity for de novo capillary recruitment of previously non-flowing capillaries. When viewed within the context of the capillary recruitment hypothesis, this evidence casts serious doubt on the interpretation of those data that are based upon Kroghian theory and indirect methodologies. Thus, today a wealth of evidence calls for a radical revision of blood-muscle exchange theory to one in which most capillaries support RBC flux at rest and, during contractions, capillary surface area is 'recruited' along the length of previously flowing capillaries. This occurs, in part, by elevating capillary haematocrit and extending the length of the capillary available for blood-myocyte exchange (i.e. longitudinal recruitment). Our understanding of blood-myocyte O2 and substrate/metabolite exchange in health and the mechanistic basis for dysfunction in disease demands no less.

Oxygen uptake kinetics

Muscular exercise requires transitions to and from metabolic rates often exceeding an order of magnitude above resting and places prodigious demands on the oxidative machinery and O2-transport pathway. The science of kinetics seeks to characterize the dynamic profiles of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and muscular systems and their integration to resolve the essential control mechanisms of muscle energetics and oxidative function: a goal not feasible using the steady-state response. Essential features of the O2 uptake (VO2) kinetics response are highly conserved across the animal kingdom. For a given metabolic demand, fast VO2 kinetics mandates a smaller O2 deficit, less substrate-level phosphorylation and high exercise tolerance. By the same token, slow VO2 kinetics incurs a high O2 deficit, presents a greater challenge to homeostasis and presages poor exercise tolerance. Compelling evidence supports that, in healthy individuals walking, running, or cycling upright, VO2 kinetics control resides within the exercising muscle(s) and is therefore not dependent upon, or limited by, upstream O2-transport systems. However, disease, aging, and other imposed constraints may redistribute VO2 kinetics control more proximally within the O2-transport system. Greater understanding of VO2 kinetics control and, in particular, its relation to the plasticity of the O2-transport/utilization system is considered important for improving the human condition, not just in athletic populations, but crucially for patients suffering from pathologically slowed VO2 kinetics as well as the burgeoning elderly population.

Highly athletic terrestrial mammals: horses and dogs

Evolutionary forces drive beneficial adaptations in response to a complex array of environmental conditions. In contrast, over several millennia, humans have been so enamored by the running/athletic prowess of horses and dogs that they have sculpted their anatomy and physiology based solely upon running speed. Thus, through hundreds of generations, those structural and functional traits crucial for running fast have been optimized. Central among these traits is the capacity to uptake, transport and utilize oxygen at spectacular rates. Moreover, the coupling of the key systems--pulmonary-cardiovascular-muscular is so exquisitely tuned in horses and dogs that oxygen uptake response kinetics evidence little inertia as the animal transitions from rest to exercise. These fast oxygen uptake kinetics minimize Intramyocyte perturbations that can limit exercise tolerance. For the physiologist, study of horses and dogs allows investigation not only of a broader range of oxidative function than available in humans, but explores the very limits of mammalian biological adaptability. Specifically, the unparalleled equine cardiovascular and muscular systems can transport and utilize more oxygen than the lungs can supply. Two consequences of this situation, particularly in the horse, are profound exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia and hypercapnia as well as structural failure of the delicate blood-gas barrier causing pulmonary hemorrhage and, in the extreme, overt epistaxis. This chapter compares and contrasts horses and dogs with humans with respect to the structural and functional features that enable these extraordinary mammals to support their prodigious oxidative and therefore athletic capabilities.

Effects of short-term dietary nitrate supplementation on blood pressure, O2 uptake kinetics, and muscle and cognitive function in older adults

Dietary nitrate (NO3−) supplementation has been shown to reduce resting blood pressure and alter the physiological response to exercise in young adults. We investigated whether these effects might also be evident in older adults. In a double-blind, randomized, crossover study, 12 healthy, older (60–70 yr) adults supplemented their diet for 3 days with either nitrate-rich concentrated beetroot juice (BR; 2 × 70 ml/day, ∼9.6 mmol/day NO3−) or a nitrate-depleted beetroot juice placebo (PL; 2 × 70 ml/day, ∼0.01 mmol/day NO3−). Before and after the intervention periods, resting blood pressure and plasma [nitrite] were measured, and subjects completed a battery of physiological and cognitive tests. Nitrate supplementation significantly increased plasma [nitrite] and reduced resting systolic (BR: 115 ± 9 vs. PL: 120 ± 6 mmHg; P < 0.05) and diastolic (BR: 70 ± 5 vs. PL: 73 ± 5 mmHg; P < 0.05) blood pressure. Nitrate supplementation resulted in a speeding of the V̇o2 mean response time (BR: 25 ± 7 vs. PL: 28 ± 7 s; P < 0.05) in the transition from standing rest to treadmill walking, although in contrast to our hypothesis, the O2 cost of exercise remained unchanged. Functional capacity (6-min walk test), the muscle metabolic response to low-intensity exercise, brain metabolite concentrations, and cognitive function were also not altered. Dietary nitrate supplementation reduced resting blood pressure and improved V̇o2 kinetics during treadmill walking in healthy older adults but did not improve walking or cognitive performance. These results may have implications for the enhancement of cardiovascular health in older age.

Mechanical ventilation reduces rat diaphragm blood flow and impairs oxygen delivery and uptake

OBJECTIVES

Although mechanical ventilation is a life-saving intervention in patients suffering from respiratory failure, prolonged mechanical ventilation is often associated with numerous complications including problematic weaning. In contracting skeletal muscle, inadequate oxygen supply can limit oxidative phosphorylation resulting in muscular fatigue. However, whether prolonged mechanical ventilation results in decreased diaphragmatic blood flow and induces an oxygen supply-demand imbalance in the diaphragm remains unknown.

DESIGN

We tested the hypothesis that prolonged controlled mechanical ventilation results in a time-dependent reduction in rat diaphragmatic blood flow and microvascular PO2 and that prolonged mechanical ventilation would diminish the diaphragm's ability to increase blood flow in response to muscular contractions.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Compared to 30 mins of mechanical ventilation, 6 hrs of mechanical ventilation resulted in a 75% reduction in diaphragm blood flow (via radiolabeled microspheres), which did not occur in the intercostal muscle or high-oxidative hindlimb muscle (e.g., soleus). There was also a time-dependent decline in diaphragm microvascular PO2 (via phosphorescence quenching). Further, contrary to 30 mins of mechanical ventilation, 6 hrs of mechanical ventilation significantly compromised the diaphragm's ability to increase blood flow during electrically-induced contractions, which resulted in a ~80% reduction in diaphragm oxygen uptake. In contrast, 6 hrs of spontaneous breathing in anesthetized animals did not alter diaphragm blood flow or the ability to augment flow during electrically-induced contractions.

CONCLUSIONS

These new and important findings reveal that prolonged mechanical ventilation results in a time-dependent decrease in the ability of the diaphragm to augment blood flow to match oxygen demand in response to contractile activity and could be a key contributing factor to difficult weaning. Although additional experiments are required to confirm, it is tempting to speculate that this ventilator-induced decline in diaphragmatic oxygenation could promote a hypoxia-induced generation of reactive oxygen species in diaphragm muscle fibers and contribute to ventilator-induced diaphragmatic atrophy and contractile dysfunction.

Acute ascorbic acid and hindlimb skeletal muscle blood flow distribution in old rats: rest and exercise

Excess reactive oxygen species are implicated in the impaired peripheral vascular function evident during exercise in older individuals. We tested the hypothesis that an acute infusion of the antioxidant ascorbic acid (AA) in old rats would improve antioxidant capacity and reduce oxidative stress and, therefore, elevate hindlimb muscle blood flow at rest and during treadmill exercise in muscles containing principally type I and IIa muscle fibers. Total and individual hindlimb skeletal muscle blood flow was measured (radiolabeled microspheres) in old rats (26–28 months) at rest (n = 8) and during treadmill exercise (n = 8; 20 m·min–1, 5% grade) before and after AA treatment (76 mg·(kg body mass)–1 intra-arterial (i.a.) injection). AA elevated total antioxidant capacity (rest, ∼37%; and exercise, 31%) and reduced oxidative stress (∼26%, exercise only). AA reduced resting total hindlimb muscle blood flow (control, 25 ± 3; AA, 16 ± 2 mL·min–1·(100 g)–1; p < 0.05) and blood flow to 8 of 28 individual muscles with no fiber-type correlation (p > 0.05). During exercise there was no effect of AA on total hindlimb muscle blood flow (control, 154 ± 14; AA, 162 ± 13 mL·min–1·(100 g)–1; p > 0.05) or blood flow to any individual muscle. This disconnect between whole-body antioxidant status and skeletal muscle blood flow in old rats mandates consideration when pursuing antioxidant treatments experimentally or clinically in older populations.

Effects of aging and exercise training on skeletal muscle blood flow and resistance artery morphology

With old age, blood flow to the high-oxidative red skeletal muscle is reduced and blood flow to the low-oxidative white muscle is elevated during exercise. Changes in the number of feed arteries perforating the muscle are thought to contribute to this altered hyperemic response during exercise. We tested the hypothesis that exercise training would ameliorate age-related differences in blood flow during exercise and feed artery structure in skeletal muscle. Young (6-7 mo old, n = 36) and old (24 mo old, n = 25) male Fischer 344 rats were divided into young sedentary (Sed), old Sed, young exercise-trained (ET), and old ET groups, where training consisted of 10-12 wk of treadmill exercise. In Sed and ET rats, blood flow to the red and white portions of the gastrocnemius muscle (Gast(Red) and Gast(White)) and the number and luminal cross-sectional area (CSA) of all feed arteries perforating the muscle were measured at rest and during exercise. In the old ET group, blood flow was greater to Gast(Red) (264 ± 13 and 195 ± 9 ml · min(-1) · 100 g(-1) in old ET and old Sed, respectively) and lower to Gast(White) (78 ± 5 and 120 ± 6 ml · min(-1) · 100 g(-1) in old ET and old Sed, respectively) than in the old Sed group. There was no difference in the number of feed arteries between the old ET and old Sed group, although the CSA of feed arteries from old ET rats was larger. In young ET rats, there was an increase in the number of feed arteries perforating the muscle. Exercise training mitigated old age-associated differences in blood flow during exercise within gastrocnemius muscle. However, training-induced adaptations in resistance artery morphology differed between young (increase in feed artery number) and old (increase in artery CSA) animals. The altered blood flow pattern induced by exercise training with old age would improve the local matching of O(2) delivery to consumption within the skeletal muscle.

Influence of α-adrenergic vasoconstriction on the blunted skeletal muscle contraction-induced rapid vasodilation with aging

We tested the hypothesis that elevated sympathetic tone is responsible for lower peak vasodilation after single muscle contractions in older adults. Young (n = 13, 7 men and 6 women, age: 27 ± 1 yr) and older (n = 13, 7 men and 6 women, age: 69 ± 2 yr) adults performed single forearm contractions at 10%, 20%, and 40% of maximum during 1) control, 2) sympathetic activation via lower body negative pressure (LBNP; -20 mmHg), and 3) intra-arterial infusion of phentolamine (α-adrenergic antagonist). Brachial artery diameter and velocities were measured via Doppler ultrasound, and forearm vascular conductance (FVC; in ml·min(-1)·100 mmHg(-1)) was calculated from blood flow (in ml/min) and blood pressure (in mmHg). Peak vasodilator responses [change in (Δ) FVC from baseline] were attenuated in older adults at 20% and 40% of maximum (P < 0.05). LBNP reduced peak ΔFVC at 10% (98 ± 17 vs. 70 ± 12 ml·min(-1)·100 mmHg(-1)), 20% (144 ± 12 vs. 98 ± 3 ml·min(-1)·100 mmHg(-1)), and 40% (209 ± 20 vs. 161 ± 21 ml·min(-1)·100 mmHg(-1), P < 0.01 vs. control) in younger adults but not in older adults (71 ± 11 vs. 68 ± 11, 107 ± 13 vs. 106 ± 16, and 161 ± 22 vs. 144 ± 22 ml·min(-1)·100 mmHg(-1), respectively, P = 0.22-0.99). With phentolamine, peak ΔFVC was enhanced in older adults at each contraction intensity (100 ± 14, 147 ± 22, and 200 ± 26 ml·min(-1)·100 mmHg(-1), respectively, P < 0.01 vs. control) but not in younger adults (94 ± 13, 153 ± 13, and 224 ± 27 ml·min(-1)·100 mmHg(-1), respectively, P = 0.30-0.81 vs. control). Our data indicate that α-adrenergic vasoconstriction and/or blunted functional sympatholysis might contribute to the age-related decreases in skeletal muscle contraction-induced rapid vasodilation in humans.

Lifelong physical activity prevents an age-related reduction in arterial and skeletal muscle nitric oxide bioavailability in humans

Ageing has been proposed to be associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that scavenge nitric oxide (NO). In eight young sedentary (23 ± 1 years; Y), eight older lifelong sedentary (66 ± 2 years; OS) and eight older lifelong physically active subjects (62 ± 2 years; OA), we studied the effect of ROS on systemic and skeletal muscle NO bioavailability and leg blood flow by infusion of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Infusion of NAC increased the bioavailability of NO in OS, as evidenced by an increased concentration of stable metabolites of NO (NOx) in the arterial and venous circulation and in the muscle interstitium. In OA, infusion of NAC only increased NOx concentrations in venous plasma whereas in Y, infusion of NAC did not affect NOx concentrations. Skeletal muscle protein levels of endothelial and neuronal NO synthase were 32% and 24% higher, respectively, in OA than in OS. Exercise at 12 W elicited a lower leg blood flow response that was associated with a lower leg oxygen uptake in OS than in Y. The improved bioavailability of NO in OS did not increase blood flow during exercise. These data demonstrate that NO bioavailability is compromised in the systemic circulation and in the musculature of sedentary ageing humans due to increased oxidative stress. Lifelong physical activity opposes this effect within the trained musculature and in the arterial circulation. The lower blood flow response to leg exercise in ageing humans is not associated with a reduced NO bioavailability.

Exercise training and muscle microvascular oxygenation: functional role of nitric oxide

Exercise training induces multiple adaptations within skeletal muscle that may improve local O(2) delivery-utilization matching (i.e., Po(2)mv). We tested the hypothesis that increased nitric oxide (NO) function is intrinsic to improved muscle Po(2)mv kinetics from rest to contractions after exercise training. Healthy young Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to sedentary (n = 18) or progressive treadmill exercise training (n = 10; 5 days/wk, 6-8 wk, final workload of 60 min/day at 35 m/min, -14% grade) groups. Po(2)mv was measured via phosphorescence quenching in the spinotrapezius muscle at rest and during 1-Hz twitch contractions under control (Krebs-Henseleit solution), sodium nitroprusside (SNP, NO donor; 300 μM), and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME, nonspecific NO synthase blockade; 1.5 mM) superfusion conditions. Exercise-trained rats had greater peak oxygen uptake (Vo(2 peak)) than their sedentary counterparts (81 ± 1 vs. 72 ± 2 ml · kg(-1) · min(-1), respectively; P < 0.05). Exercise-trained rats had significantly slower Po(2)mv fall throughout contractions (τ(1); time constant for the first component) during control (sedentary: 8.1 ± 0.6; trained: 15.2 ± 2.8 s). Compared with control, SNP slowed τ(1) to a greater extent in sedentary rats (sedentary: 38.7 ± 5.6; trained: 26.8 ± 4.1 s; P > 0.05) whereas l-NAME abolished the differences in τ(1) between sedentary and trained rats (sedentary: 12.0 ± 1.7; trained: 11.2 ± 1.4 s; P < 0.05). Our results indicate that endurance exercise training leads to greater muscle microvascular oxygenation across the metabolic transient following the onset of contractions (i.e., slower Po(2)mv kinetics) partly via increased NO-mediated function, which likely constitutes an important mechanism for training-induced metabolic adaptations.

Aging alters the contribution of nitric oxide to regional muscle hemodynamic control at rest and during exercise in rats

Advanced age is associated with altered skeletal muscle hemodynamic control during the transition from rest to exercise. This study investigated the effects of aging on the functional role of nitric oxide (NO) in regulating total, inter-, and intramuscular hindlimb hemodynamic control at rest and during submaximal whole body exercise. We tested the hypothesis that NO synthase inhibition (N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, l-NAME; 10 mg/kg) would result in attenuated reductions in vascular conductance (VC) primarily in oxidative muscles in old compared with young rats. Total and regional hindlimb muscle VCs were determined via radiolabeled microspheres at rest and during treadmill running (20 m/min, 5% grade) in nine young (6-8 mo) and seven old (27-29 mo) male Fisher 344 × Brown Norway rats. At rest, l-NAME increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) significantly by ∼17% and 21% in young and old rats, respectively. During exercise, l-NAME increased MAP significantly by ∼13% and 19% in young and old rats, respectively. Compared with young rats, l-NAME administration in old rats evoked attenuated reductions in 1) total hindlimb VC during exercise (i.e., down by ∼23% in old vs. 43% in young rats; P < 0.05), and 2) VC in predominantly oxidative muscles both at rest and during exercise (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that the dependency of highly oxidative muscles on NO-mediated vasodilation is markedly diminished, and therefore mechanisms other than NO-mediated vasodilation control the bulk of the increase in skeletal muscle VC during the transition from rest to exercise in old rats. Reduced NO contribution to vasomotor control with advanced age is associated with blood flow redistribution from highly oxidative to glycolytic muscles during exercise.

Dynamics of muscle microcirculatory and blood-myocyte O(2) flux during contractions

The O(2) requirements of contracting skeletal muscle may increase 100-fold above rest. In 1919, August Krogh's brilliant insights recognized the capillary as the principal site for this increased blood-myocyte O(2) flux. Based on the premise that most capillaries did not sustain RBC flux at rest, Krogh proposed that capillary recruitment [i.e. initiation of red blood cell (RBC) flux in previously non-flowing capillaries] increased the capillary surface area available for O(2) flux and reduced mean capillary-to-mitochondrial diffusion distances. More modern experimental approaches reveal that most muscle capillaries may support RBC flux at rest. Thus, rather than contraction-induced capillary recruitment per se, increased RBC flux and haematocrit within already-flowing capillaries probably elevate perfusive and diffusive O(2) conductances and hence blood-myocyte O(2) flux. Additional surface area for O(2) exchange is recruited but, crucially, this may occur along the length of already-flowing capillaries (i.e. longitudinal recruitment). Today, the capillary is still considered the principal site for O(2) and substrate delivery to contracting skeletal muscle. Indeed, the presence of very low intramyocyte O(2) partial pressures (PO(2)s) and the absence of intramyocyte PO(2) gradients, whilst refuting the relevance of diffusion distances, place an even greater importance on capillary hemodynamics. This emergent picture calls for a paradigm-shift in our understanding of the function of capillaries by de-emphasizing de novo'capillary recruitment'. Diseases such as heart failure impair blood-myocyte O(2) flux, in part, by decreasing the proportion of RBC-flowing capillaries. Knowledge of capillary function in healthy muscle is requisite for identification of pathology and efficient design of therapeutic treatments.

Acute antioxidant supplementation and skeletal muscle vascular conductance in aged rats: role of exercise and fiber type

Age-related increases in oxidative stress contribute to impaired skeletal muscle vascular control. However, recent evidence indicates that antioxidant treatment with tempol (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl) attenuates flow-mediated vasodilation in isolated arterioles from the highly oxidative soleus muscle of aged rats. Whether antioxidant treatment with tempol evokes similar responses in vivo at rest and during exercise in senescent individuals and whether this effect varies based on muscle fiber type composition are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that redox modulation via acute systemic tempol administration decreases vascular conductance (VC) primarily in oxidative hindlimb locomotor muscles at rest and during submaximal whole body exercise (treadmill running at 20 m/min, 5% grade) in aged rats. Eighteen old (25–26 mo) male Fischer 344 x Brown Norway rats were assigned to either rest ( n = 8) or exercise ( n = 10) groups. Regional VC was determined via radiolabeled microspheres before and after intra-arterial administration of tempol (302 μmol/kg). Tempol decreased mean arterial pressure significantly by 9% at rest and 16% during exercise. At rest, similar VC in 26 out of 28 individual hindlimb muscles or muscle parts following tempol administration compared with control resulted in unchanged total hindlimb muscle VC (control: 0.18 ± 0.02; tempol: 0.17 ± 0.05 ml·min−1·100 g−1·mmHg−1; P > 0.05). During exercise, all individual hindlimb muscles or muscle parts irrespective of fiber type composition exhibited either an increase or no change in VC with tempol (i.e., ↑11 and ↔17 muscles or muscle parts), such that total hindlimb VC increased by 25% (control: 0.93 ± 0.04; tempol: 1.15 ± 0.09 ml·min−1·100 g−1·mmHg−1; P ≤ 0.05). These results demonstrate that acute systemic administration of the antioxidant tempol significantly impacts the control of regional vascular tone in vivo presumably via redox modulation and improves skeletal muscle vasodilation independently of fiber type composition during submaximal whole body exercise in aged rats.

Aging and estrogen alter endothelial reactivity to reactive oxygen species in coronary arterioles

Endothelium-dependent, nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilation can be impaired by reactive oxygen species (ROS), and this deleterious effect of ROS on NO availability may increase with aging. Endothelial function declines rapidly after menopause, possibly because of loss of circulating estrogen and its antioxidant effects. The purpose of the current study was to determine the role of O(2)(-) and H(2)O(2) in regulating flow-induced dilation in coronary arterioles of young (6-mo) and aged (24-mo) intact, ovariectomized (OVX), or OVX + estrogen-treated (OVE) female Fischer 344 rats. Both aging and OVX reduced flow-induced NO production, whereas flow-induced H(2)O(2) production was not altered by age or estrogen status. Flow-induced vasodilation was evaluated before and after treatment with the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic Tempol (100 μM) or the H(2)O(2) scavenger catalase (100 U/ml). Removal of H(2)O(2) with catalase reduced flow-induced dilation in all groups, whereas Tempol diminished vasodilation in intact and OVE, but not OVX, rats. Immunoblot analysis revealed elevated nitrotyrosine with aging and OVX. In young rats, OVX reduced SOD protein while OVE increased SOD in aged rats; catalase protein did not differ in any group. Collectively, these studies suggest that O(2)(-) and H(2)O(2) are critical components of flow-induced vasodilation in coronary arterioles from female rats; however, a chronic deficiency of O(2)(-) buffering by SOD contributes to impaired flow-induced dilation with aging and loss of estrogen. Furthermore, these data indicate that estrogen replacement restores O(2)(-) homeostasis and flow-induced dilation of coronary arterioles, even at an advanced age.

Effects of aging and exercise training on spinotrapezius muscle microvascular PO2 dynamics and vasomotor control

With advancing age, there is a reduction in exercise tolerance, resulting, in part, from a perturbed ability to match O(2) delivery to uptake within skeletal muscle. In the spinotrapezius muscle (which is not recruited during incline treadmill running) of aged rats, we tested the hypotheses that exercise training will 1) improve the matching of O(2) delivery to O(2) uptake, evidenced through improved microvascular Po(2) (Pm(O(2))), at rest and throughout the contractions transient; and 2) enhance endothelium-dependent vasodilation in first-order arterioles. Young (Y, ∼6 mo) and aged (O, >24 mo) Fischer 344 rats were assigned to control sedentary (YSED; n = 16, and OSED; n = 15) or exercise-trained (YET; n = 14, and OET; n = 13) groups. Spinotrapezius blood flow (via radiolabeled microspheres) was measured at rest and during exercise. Phosphorescence quenching was used to quantify Pm(O(2)) in vivo at rest and across the rest-to-twitch contraction (1 Hz, 5 min) transition in the spinotrapezius muscle. In a follow-up study, vasomotor responses to endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine) and -independent (sodium nitroprusside) stimuli were investigated in vitro. Blood flow to the spinotrapezius did not increase above resting values during exercise in either young or aged groups. Exercise training increased the precontraction baseline Pm(O(2)) (OET 37.5 ± 3.9 vs. OSED 24.7 ± 3.6 Torr, P < 0.05); the end-contracting Pm(O(2)) and the time-delay before Pm(O(2)) fell in the aged group but did not affect these values in the young. Exercise training improved maximal vasodilation in aged rats to acetylcholine (OET 62 ± 16 vs. OSED 27 ± 16%) and to sodium nitroprusside in both young and aged rats. Endurance training of aged rats enhances the Pm(O(2)) in a nonrecruited skeletal muscle and is associated with improved vascular smooth muscle function. These data support the notion that improvements in vascular function with exercise training are not isolated to the recruited muscle.

Phosphorescence quenching microrespirometry of skeletal muscle in situ

We have developed an optical method for the evaluation of the oxygen consumption (Vo(2)) in microscopic volumes of spinotrapezius muscle. Using phosphorescence quenching microscopy (PQM) for the measurement of interstitial Po(2), together with rapid pneumatic compression of the organ, we recorded the oxygen disappearance curve (ODC) in the muscle of the anesthetized rats. A 0.6-mm diameter area in the tissue, preloaded with the phosphorescent oxygen probe, was excited once a second by a 532-nm Q-switched laser with pulse duration of 15 ns. Each of the evoked phosphorescence decays was analyzed to obtain a sequence of Po(2) values that constituted the ODC. Following flow arrest and tissue compression, the interstitial Po(2) decreased rapidly and the initial slope of the ODC was used to calculate the Vo(2). Special analysis of instrumental factors affecting the ODC was performed, and the resulting model was used for evaluation of Vo(2). The calculation was based on the observation of only a small amount of residual blood in the tissue after compression. The contribution of oxygen photoconsumption by PQM and oxygen inflow from external sources was evaluated in specially designed tests. The average oxygen consumption of the rat spinotrapezius muscle was Vo(2) = 123.4 ± 13.4 (SE) nl O(2)/cm(3) · s (N = 38, within 6 muscles) at a baseline interstitial Po(2) of 50.8 ± 2.9 mmHg. This technique has opened the opportunity for monitoring respiration rates in microscopic volumes of functioning skeletal muscle.

Nitric oxide bioavailability modulates the dynamics of microvascular oxygen exchange during recovery from contractions

AIM

lowered microvascular PO(2) (PO(2) mv) during the exercise off-transient likely impairs muscle metabolic recovery and limits the capacity to perform repetitive tasks. The current investigation explored the impact of altered nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability on PO(2) mv during recovery from contractions in healthy skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that increased NO bioavailability (sodium nitroprusside: SNP) would enhance PO(2) mv and speed its recovery kinetics while decreased NO bioavailability (l-nitro arginine methyl ester: l-NAME) would reduce PO(2) mv and slow its recovery kinetics.

METHODS

  PO(2) mv was measured by phosphorescence quenching during transitions (rest-1 Hz twitch-contractions for 3 min-recovery) in the spinotrapezius muscle of Sprague-Dawley rats under SNP (300 microm), Krebs-Henseleit (CONTROL) and l-NAME (1.5 mm) superfusion conditions.

RESULTS

relative to recovery in CONTROL, SNP resulted in greater overall microvascular oxygenation as assessed by the area under the PO(2) mv curve (PO(2 AREA) ;

CONTROL

3471 ± 292 mmHg s; SNP: 4307 ± 282 mmHg s; P < 0.05) and faster off-kinetics as evidenced by the mean response time (MRToff;

CONTROL

60.2 ± 6.9 s; SNP: 34.8 ± 5.7 s; P < 0.05), whereas l-NAME produced lower PO(2 AREA) (2339 ± 444 mmHg s; P < 0.05) and slower MRToff (86.6 ± 14.5s; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

no bioavailability plays a key role in determining the matching of O(2) delivery-to-O(2) uptake and thus the upstream O(2) pressure driving capillary-myocyte O(2) flux (i.e. PO(2) mv) following cessation of contractions in healthy skeletal muscle. Additionally, these data support a mechanistic link between reduced NO bioavailability and prolonged muscle metabolic recovery commonly observed in ageing and diseased populations.

Speeding of VO2 kinetics with endurance training in old and young men is associated with improved matching of local O2 delivery to muscle O2 utilization

The time course and mechanisms of adjustment of pulmonary oxygen uptake (V(O(2))) kinetics (time constant tauV(O(2p))) were examined during step transitions from 20 W to moderate-intensity cycling in eight older men (O; 68 +/- 7 yr) and eight young men (Y; 23 +/- 5 yr) before training and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 wk of endurance training. V(O(2p)) was measured breath by breath with a volume turbine and a mass spectrometer. Changes in deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration (Delta[HHb]) were measured by near-infrared spectroscopy. V(O(2p)) and Delta[HHb] were modeled with a monoexponential model. Training was performed on a cycle ergometer three times per week for 45 min at approximately 70% of peak V(O(2)). Pretraining tauV(O(2p)) was greater (P < 0.05) in O (43 +/- 10 s) than Y (34 +/- 8 s). tauV(O(2p)) decreased (P < 0.05) by 3 wk of training in both O (35 +/- 9 s) and Y (22 +/- 8 s), with no further changes thereafter. The pretraining overall adjustment of Delta[HHb] was faster than tauV(O(2p)) in both O and Y, resulting in Delta[HHb]/V(O(2p)) displaying an "overshoot" during the transient relative to the subsequent steady-state level. After 3 wk of training the Delta[HHb]/V(O(2p)) overshoot was attenuated in both O and Y. With further training, this overshoot persisted in O but was eliminated after 6 wk in Y. The training-induced speeding of V(O(2p)) kinetics in O and Y at 3 wk of training was associated with an improved matching of local O(2) delivery to muscle V(O(2)) (as represented by a lower Delta[HHb]/V(O(2p))). The continued overshoot in Delta[HHb]/V(O(2p)) in O may reflect a reduced vasodilatory responsiveness that may limit muscle blood flow distribution during the on-transient of exercise.

Aging impacts microvascular oxygen pressures during recovery from contractions in rat skeletal muscle

Aging-induced alterations in peripheral circulatory control during contractions reduce the microvascular partial pressure of O(2) (P(O)(2)mv; which reflects the dynamic balance in the O(2) delivery-to-O(2) uptake ratio), resulting in exaggerated intramuscular metabolic disturbances and premature fatigue. However, the extent to which this altered P(O)(2)mv during contractions is associated with prolongated muscle metabolic recovery is not known. We tested the hypothesis that the aging-induced speeding of the P(O)(2)mv on-kinetics would presage slowed P(O)(2)mv off-kinetics. The spinotrapezius muscle was exposed in six young (6-8 months) and seven old (26-28 months) male Fischer 344xBrown Norway F1-hybrid rats. The P(O)(2)mv kinetic profile was measured via phosphorescence quenching at rest, during electrically stimulated contractions (1Hz, 7-9V, 2ms pulse duration, 180s), and throughout recovery (180s). Aged rats which evidenced faster P(O)(2)mv on-kinetics (reduced mean response time (MRTon), young: 27.3+/-3.6s, old: 19.2+/-1.6s; P<0.05) exhibited markedly slowed P(O)(2)mv off-kinetics (increased MRToff, young: 46.5+/-5.9s, old: 84.8+/-7.9s; P<0.05). Accordingly, a greater degree of P(O)(2)mv on-off asymmetry (MRToff-MRTon) in the aged muscle was observed (young: 19.1+/-4.5s, old: 65.6+/-8.6s; P<0.01). We conclude that aging-induced speeding of the P(O)(2)mv on-kinetics does indeed presage a slowed P(O)(2)mv off-kinetics, which likely compromises muscle metabolic recovery and may reduce subsequent contractile performance. Moreover, the greater degree of P(O)(2)mv on-off asymmetry in the aged muscle suggests a mechanistic link between impaired microvascular oxygenation and altered muscle metabolic responses during exercise transitions.

Aging blunts the dynamics of vasodilation in isolated skeletal muscle resistance vessels

Aging is associated with an altered ability to match oxygen delivery (QO2) to consumption ((.)VO2) in skeletal muscle and differences in the temporal profile of vasodilation may provide a mechanistic basis for the QO2-to-(.)VO2 mismatching during the rest-to-exercise transition. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the speed of vasodilation will be blunted in skeletal muscle first-order arterioles from old vs. young rats. Arterioles from the soleus and the red portion of the gastrocnemius (Gast(Red)) muscles were isolated from young (Y, 6 mo; n = 9) and old (O, 24 mo; n = 9) Fischer 344 rats and studied in vitro. Vessels were exposed to acetylcholine (ACh; 10(-6) M), sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 10(-4) M), and increased intraluminal flow, and the subsequent vasodilation was recorded at 30 frames/s. The data were fit to a monoexponential model and the dynamics of vasodilation [i.e., time delay, time constant (tau), and rate of change (delta/tau)] were calculated. With old age, the rate of vasodilation was significantly blunted in resistance vessels from the soleus to ACh (Y, 27.9 +/- 3.6; O, 8.8 +/- 2.6 microm/s) and flow (Y, 12.8 +/- 2.1; O, 3.1 +/- 0.9 microm/s). In the Gast(Red) the old age-associated impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilator dynamics was even greater than that of the soleus. With SNP neither the magnitude nor time constant of vasodilation was affected by age in either muscle. The results indicate that aging impairs the dynamics of vasodilation in resistance vessels from the soleus and Gast(Red) muscles mediated, in part, through the endothelium. Thus the old age-associated slower rate and magnitude of vasodilation could inhibit the delivery of O2 during the critical transition from rest to exercise in moderate to highly oxidative skeletal muscle.