Exercise Training Causes Sympathoinhibition Through Antioxidant Effect in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla of Hypertensive Rats

Abstract

Exercise training normalizes sympathetic outflow in hypertension and chronic heart failure. The aim of this study was to determine whether the exercise training inhibits sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) via reduction of oxidative stress through blocked angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT₁R) in rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). We divided stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) into SHRSP with exercised training (SHRSP-EX) and control (SHRSP-C). SNA and oxidative stress in the RVLM were significantly lower in SHRSP-EX than in SHRSP-C. These results suggest that exercise training inhibits SNA via reduction of oxidative stress through blocked AT₁R in the RVLM of hypertension.

• exercise training
• hypertension
• sympathetic nerve activity
• oxidative stress
• brain

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (B19390231) and, in part, by the Health and Labor Sciences Research Grant for Comprehensive Research in Aging and Health Labor and Welfare of Japan. I thank my family, Satomi and Jiro.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the papers.