Effects of treadmill running on oxidative capacity of regenerated skeletal muscle

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of treadmill running on the oxidative capacity of regenerated rodent skeletal muscle. The soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles were removed under general anesthesia from one hindlimb of young female rats (N=15). The visibly "white" portion of the latter muscle was minced into 1 mm3 fragments and autotransplanted leaving both the tibial and sural nerves intact. Six animals were treadmill run daily beginning four d post-surgery. Intensity and duration were progressively increased such that by 45 d animals were running one h at 21.5 m·min-1 up a 15% grade. The regenerated muscle homogenates had a significantly lover capacity for state 3 pyruvate + malate oxidation and smaller mass relative to the contralateral gastrocnemius. The exercise program significantly increased these parameters, tending to normalize the values. Some factor associated with exercise, possibly enhanced neurotrophic effects or blood perfusion of the mince, stimulated recovery from the muscular trauma.Thesis (M.A.