Abstract
In two series of experiments the development of body weight, heart weight and the microstructure of the rat heart in the male offspring from exercised and control inactive mothers was followed. In 50-day-old male offspring the total body weight and heart weight did not differ; in 100-day-old male offspring the heart weight was significantly higher in those from mothers exercising daily for 1 hr (run on a tread-mill with the speed 14 to 16 m/min,i.e. mild exercise of an aerobic character) throughout pregnancy. As regards microstructure of the heart, the differences were significant both in younger and older animals. The number of muscle fibers and capillaries per mm2 in the heart was significantly higher in male offspring of exercised mothers. The capillary: fiber ratio was significantly higher and the diffusion distance significantly shorter in male offspring of exercised mothers. During the prenatal period a favorable effect of work-load for the offspring could be induced more easily even with mild aerobic and quite short daily exercise than later during postnatal life as shown by experiments reported previously.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arshavskiy, I. A.: Otcherki po vozrastnoy fiziologii. Moscow: Medicina 1967
Prank, A.: Experimentelle Herzhypertrophie. Z. ges. exp. Med.115, 312 (1950)
Fulton, R. M., Hutchinson, E. C., Jones, A. M.: Ventricular weight in cardiac hypertrophy. Brit. Heart J.14, 413 (1952)
Häkkila, J.: Studies on the myocardial capillary concentration in cardiac hypertrophy due to training: an experimental study with guinea pigs. Ann. Med. exp. Fenn.10 (Suppl.), 1 (1956)
Hecht, A.: Zur kapillaren Gefäßversorgung der subendocardialen Muskelschichten im menschlichen Herzen. Virchows Arch. path. Anat.331, 26 (1958)
Krogh, A.: The anatomy and physiology of capillaries. New Haven: Yale University Press 1929
Pařízková, J.: Nutrition and its relation to body composition in exercise. Proc. Nutr. Soc.25, 93 (1966)
Pařízková, J., Faltová, E.: Physical activity, body fat and experimental cardiac necrosis. Brit. J. Nutr.24, 3 (1970)
Pařízková, J., Faltová, E., Wachtlová, M.: The impact of long-term exercise during pre- and postnatal ontogeny on the development of the heart and experimental cardiac necrosis. Internat. Symp. Adaptation of the cardiac muscle. Prague, 1974. New York: Plenum Press (in press)
Pařízková, J., Staňková, L.: Influence of physical activity on a tread-mill on the metabolism of adipose tissue of rats. Brit. J. Nutr.18, 325 (1964)
Pařízková, J., Wachtlová, M., Soukupová, M.: The impact of different motor activity on body composition, density of capillaries and fibers in the heart and soleus muscles, and cell's migrationin vitro in male rats. Int. Z. angew. Physiol.30, 207 (1972)
Petren, T., Sylven, B.: Weitere Untersuchungen über den Einfluß des Trainings auf die Kapillarenierung der Herzmuskulatur. Gegenbaurs morph. Jb.80, 439 (1936)
Tepperman, J., Pearlman, D.: Effects of exercise and anemia on coronary arteries of small animals as revealed by corrosion-cast techniques. Circulát. Res.9, 576 (1961)
Thorner, W.: Trainingsversuche an Hunden. III. Histologische Beobachtungen an Herzund Skelettmuskeln. Arbeitsphysiologie8, 359 (1935)
Tomanek, R. J.: Effects of age and exercise on the extent of the myocardial capillary bed. Anat. Rec.167, 1 (1970)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pařízková, J. Impact of daily work-load during pregnancy on the microstructure of the rat heart in male offspring. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 34, 323–326 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00999945
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00999945