Short- and long-term swimming exercise training increases myocardial insulin-like growth factor-I gene expression

M. Scheinowitz*, G. Kessler-Icekson, S. Freimann, R. Zimmermann, W. Schaper, E. Golomb, N. Savion, M. Eldar

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

49 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives. We investigated the effect of short- and long-term swimming exercise, with or without insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I administration, on the expression of myocardial IGFs and contractile proteins. Methods. Sprague-Dawley male rats (n = 36) were subjected to swimming exercise for 2 or 6 weeks. IGF-I (0.5 mg/rat) was administered continuously for 1 week, using alzet osmotic pumps. Control groups remained sedentary. IGF-I, IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), IGF-II, skeletal α-actin (sk-actin), and β myosin heavy chain (βMHC) mRNAs were measured using Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR. Results. A significant 2-fold increase in myocardial IGF-I mRNA was found after 2 and 6weeks of swimming in both IGF-I treated and untreated rats (p < 0.001). IGF-IR mRNA was significantly (p < 0.05) increased after 6 weeks of training only in the IGF-I treated animals. IGF-II mRNA remained unchanged at all time points. While βMHC mRNA was significantly decreased (p = 0.003) at 2 and 6 weeks, sk-actin mRNA remained unchanged. Conclusions. Short- and long-term swimming exercise training increase myocardial expression of IGF-I mRNA. Exogenous administration of IGF-I, during the first week of the exercise session, did not produce any effect on myocardial IGF-I but was associated with increased IGF-IR signal after the long-term exercise training. These data suggest a relationship between IGF-I expression and cardiac adaptation to exercise training.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)19-25
Number of pages7
JournalGrowth Hormone and IGF Research
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2003

Funding

FundersFunder number
German-Israeli-Foundation
German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development0401-266.02/94

    Keywords

    • IGF-I
    • IGF-I receptors
    • IGF-II
    • Myocardial contractile proteins

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