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Effect of voluntary exercise on number and volume of cardiomyocytes and their mitochondria in the mouse left ventricle

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Abstract

Voluntary exercise (VE) has a beneficial influence on the heart and mean lifespan. The present study evaluates structural adaptations of cardiomyocytes and their mitochondria due to VE by new, unbiased stereological methods. Female, 7–9-week-old mice were randomly assigned to a control (CG, n = 7) or VE group (EG, n = 7). EG animals were housed in cages with free access to a running wheel and had a mean running distance of 6.7 (1.8) km per day. After 4 weeks, the hearts of all mice were processed for light and electron microscopy. We estimated the number and volume of cardiomyocytes by the disector method and the number and volume of mitochondria by estimation of the Euler number. In comparison to CG, VE did not have an effect on the myocardial volume of the left ventricle (CG: 93 (10), EG: 103 (17) (mm3)), the number of cardiomyocytes (CG: 2.81 (0.27), EG: 2.82 (0.43) (×106)) and their number-weighted mean volume. However, the composition of the cardiomyocytes changed due to VE. The total volume of mitochondria (CG: 21.8 (4.9), EG: 32.2 (4.3) (mm3), P < 0.01) and the total number (CG: 3.76 (0.44), EG: 7.02 (1.13) (×1010), P < 0.001) were significantly higher in EG than in CG. The mean number-weighted mitochondrial volume was smaller in EG than in CG (P < 0.05). In summary, VE does not alter ventricular volume nor cardiomyocyte volume or number but the oxidative capacity of cardiomyocytes by an increased mitochondrial number and total volume in the left ventricle. These structural changes may participate in the beneficial effects of VE.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Ms. S. Freese, Ms. H. Hühn, Ms. S. Kosin, Ms. R. Waldmann-Beushausen, Ms. S. Wienstroth (all Göttingen), Ms. A. Berg and Ms. M.-B. Lundorf (both Aarhus) for their expert technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Anatomy, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Judith Christina Eisele, Inga-Marie Schaefer &  Christian Mühlfeld

  2. Stereology and Electron Microscopy Research Laboratory, University of Århus, Århus, Denmark

    Jens Randel Nyengaard &  Christian Mühlfeld

  3. Dept. of Cardiology and Pulmonary Medicine, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Heiner Post

  4. Dept. of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    David Liebetanz

  5. Institute of Anatomy, University of Århus, Århus, Denmark

    Annemarie Brüel

  6. Institute of Anatomy, Division of Histology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Christian Mühlfeld

  7. Universität Bern, Institut für Anatomie Abteilung Histologie, Baltzerstraße 2, 3000, Bern 9, Schweiz

    Christian Mühlfeld

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  1. Judith Christina Eisele
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  2. Inga-Marie Schaefer
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  3. Jens Randel Nyengaard
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  4. Heiner Post
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  5. David Liebetanz
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  6. Annemarie Brüel
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  7. Christian Mühlfeld
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Correspondence to Christian Mühlfeld.

Additional information

Returned for 1. revision: 12 January 2007 1. Revision received: 17 January 2007 Returned for 2. revision: 12 February 2007 2. Revision received: 27 September 2007

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Eisele, J.C., Schaefer, IM., Randel Nyengaard, J. et al. Effect of voluntary exercise on number and volume of cardiomyocytes and their mitochondria in the mouse left ventricle. Basic Res Cardiol 103, 12–21 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00395-007-0684-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00395-007-0684-x

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