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Muscle fibers, ubiquinone and exercise capacity in effort angina

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Abstract

Seventeen male patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and effort angina performed OBLA exercise stress tests (set to 2.0 mmol × 1−1). They had muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis muscle the day before coronary by-pass grafting, and from the internal and external intercostal, diaphragm and gastrocnemius muscles during surgery. They had a low WOBLA (83 ± 6 W, mean ± 1 S.E.M), WOBLA corresponded to 79 ± 4% (% WOBLA) of WSL (symptom limited or ‘maximal’ capacity = 111 ± 11 W). Peak blood lactate concentration averaged 2.9 mmol × 1−1. Muscle fibre composition disclosed a depressed percent slow twitch (ST or ‘red’) muscle fibres in the vastus lateralis and intercostal muscles (%ST). The diaphragm and gastrocnemius muscles had normal %ST. Intercostal muscles had elevated values for the fast twitch muscle fibre (FT) subgroup FTa indicative of endurance adaptation. The vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius and diaphragm muscles had normal muscle ubiquinone (UQ) contents, whereas the intercostals were depleted. Plasma contents of the antioxidants UQ and α-tocopherol were low as compared to healthy man.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Sweden

    Sigurd Gunnes & Bjarne Semb

  2. OBLA AB, Box 242, S-185 23, Vaxholm, Sweden

    Jan Karlsson

Authors
  1. Jan Karlsson
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  2. Sigurd Gunnes
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  3. Bjarne Semb
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The study was carried out by the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

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Karlsson, J., Gunnes, S. & Semb, B. Muscle fibers, ubiquinone and exercise capacity in effort angina. Mol Cell Biochem 156, 179–184 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426342

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426342

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