Vascular endothelial growth factor expression at rest and after acute exercise in obese and lean sedentary males / by Howard Wright Stallings, III.

Author/creator Stallings, Howard Wright author.
Other author Gavin, Timothy P., degree supervisor.
Other author East Carolina University. Department of Exercise and Sport Science.
Format Theses and dissertations
Production2004.
Descriptionvii, 58 leaves : illustrations (some color) ; 28 cm
Supplemental ContentAccess via ScholarShip
Subjects

Summary Obesity is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths in the United States. At present, approximately 65% of Americans are overweight, and 31% are obese. Lower skeletal muscle capillarization, lower insulin sensitivity, and larger muscle fibers have been observed in obese compared to lean subjects. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the most potent angiogenic growth factor, is increased by exercise and is important for capillary supply maintenance. Therefore, to determine if VEGF expression is lower in obesity, muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis of eight obese (OB) and eight lean (LN) young sedentary men were taken prior to and 2 hours after a 1-hour systemic exercise bout. No differences were found in VEGF mRNA between LN and OB, while acute systemic exercise produced 10-fold increases in each group. Histochemistry revealed OB had lower capillary density (CD), lower capillary- to-fiber area ratio (CFA), and greater fiber cross-sectional area in both Type I and II fibers compared to LN (P<0.05), but no difference in capillary contacts per fiber. The homeostatic model assessment (HOMA), an index of insulin sensitivity, was significantly greater in OB (3.49 ± 0.63) than LN (1.24 ± 0.38; F*<0.05). In this study, VEGF expression could not explain the differences found in CD and CFA between LN and OB. Contradictory to a resistance-training model, it is possible that a dysregulation exists in obesity between increasing skeletal muscle capillarization with increasing muscle fiber size.
General notePresented to the faculty of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science.
General noteAdvisor: Timothy P. Gavin
Dissertation noteM.A. East Carolina University 2004
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 52-58).
Genre/formAcademic theses.
Genre/formAcademic theses.
Genre/formThèses et écrits académiques.

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