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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 585/1/231    most recent jphysiol.2007.143198v1 Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gavin, T. P. Articles by Hickner, R. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gavin, T. P. Articles by Hickner, R. C. Related Collections Skeletal Muscle and Exercise

Departments of
¹ Exercise and Sport Science
² Physiology
³ Family Medicine
⁴ Human Performance Laboratory, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA

Ischaemia-induced skeletal muscle angiogenesis is impaired in aged compared with young mice. In humans, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA and protein following an acute exercise bout are lower in aged compared with young untrained men. We hypothesized that exercise-induced skeletal muscle angiogenesis would be attenuated in aged compared with young men. In eight aged (mean age: 64 years) and six young (mean age: 25 years) sedentary men, muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis prior to (Pre), after 1 week and after 8 weeks of an aerobic exercise training program for the measurement of capillarization and VEGF mRNA. Dialysate VEGF protein collected from the muscle interstitial space was measured at rest and during submaximal exercise at Pre, 1 week and 8 weeks. Exercise training increased capillary contacts (CC) and capillary-to-fibre perimeter exchange index (CFPE) of type I and IIA fibres similarly in young and aged. The CC of type IIA and IIB fibres was lower in aged compared with young independent of training status. Exercise-induced interstitial VEGF protein was lower in aged compared with young independent of training status. In untrained, greater exercise-induced interstitial VEGF protein during exercise was associated with greater type I, IIA and IIB CC. Exercise training increased VEGF mRNA similarly in young and aged. These results demonstrate that the angiogenic response to aerobic exercise training is not altered during the ageing process in humans. In addition, muscular activity-associated increases in interstitial VEGF protein may play an important role in the maintenance of skeletal muscle capillarization across the life span.

(Received 15 August 2007; accepted after revision 17 September 2007; first published online 20 September 2007)
Corresponding author T. P. Gavin: 363 Ward Sports Medicine Bldg, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. Email: gavint{at}ecu.edu

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