The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic training on the vascular reactivity in the mesenteric artery from diabetic rats. Wistar rats were divided into three groups: sedentary control (SC), sedentary diabetic (SD) and trained diabetic (TD). Changes in vascular reactivity were assessed after the last training session by obtaining concentration-response curves. Student's t-test or two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Bonferroni post-test were performed to evaluate the significance of differences between means. A reduction was observed in the relaxation induced by acetylcholine in the SD group (79.7 ± 3.0%) compared to SC (98.8 ± 3.0%), and maintenance of normal values in the TD group (100.1 ± 5.3%). The results suggest that exercise training can have beneficial effects on vascular function in diabetic rats.
Diabetes mellitus; Physical activity; Ascular endothelium
