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First published online on November 15, 2002.
Copyright © 2002 by The Physiological Society
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Received August 15, 2002
Accepted after revision October 24, 2002

Muscle fractal vascular branching pattern and microvascular perfusion heterogeneity in endurance-trained and untrained men

K. Kalliokoski1*, Kari K. Kalliokoski2, Tom A. Kuusela3, Marko S. Laaksonen2, Juhani Knuuti2, and Pirjo Nuutila4

1 Turku PET Centre, PO Box 52, FIN-20521 Turku, Finland
2 Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
3 Department of Applied Physics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
4 Turku PET Centre and Department of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kari.kalliokoski{at}tyks.fi.

Less heterogeneous skeletal muscle perfusion has recently been reported in endurance-trained compared to untrained men at macrovascular level. The causes of this difference in perfusion heterogeneity are unknown as is whether the same difference is observed in microvasculature. We hypothesised that the difference could be caused by changes in muscle vascular branching pattern. Perfusion was measured in resting and exercising muscle in 14 endurance-trained and seven untrained men using [15O]water and positron emission tomography. Fractal dimension (D) of perfusion distribution was calculated as a measure of fractal characteristics of muscle vascular branching pattern. Perfusion heterogeneity in microvascular units (1 mm3 samples) was estimated using the measured heterogeneity in voxels of PET images (relative dispersion, RD = S.D./mean) and corresponding D values. D was similar between the groups (exercising muscle 1.11 ± 0.07 and 1.14 ± 0.06, resting muscle 1.12 ± 0.06 and 1.14 ± 0.03, trained and untrained, respectively). Trained men had lower perfusion (151 ± 44 vs. 218 ± 87 ml min-1 kg-1, P < 0.05) and macrovascular perfusion heterogeneity (relative dispersion 21 ± 5 vs. 25 ± 5 %, P < 0.05) in exercising muscle than untrained men. Furthermore, estimated perfusion heterogeneity in microvascular units in exercising muscle was also lower in trained men (33 ± 7 vs.48 ± 19 %, P < 0.05). These results show that fractal vascular branching pattern is similar in endurance-trained and untrained men but perfusion is less heterogeneous at both the macro- and the microvascular level in endurance-trained men. Thus, changes in fractal branching pattern do not explain the differences in perfusion heterogeneity between endurance-trained and untrained men.







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