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. 2013 Jan 15;304(2):H206-14.
doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00714.2012. Epub 2012 Nov 9.

(-)-Epicatechin administration and exercising skeletal muscle vascular control and microvascular oxygenation in healthy rats

Steven W Copp  1 , Tadakatsu Inagaki, Michael J White, Daniel M Hirai, Scott K Ferguson, Clark T Holdsworth, Gabrielle E Sims, David C Poole, Timothy I Musch
Affiliations

(-)-Epicatechin administration and exercising skeletal muscle vascular control and microvascular oxygenation in healthy rats

Steven W Copp et al. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. .

Abstract

Consumption of the dietary flavanol (-)-epicatechin (EPI) is associated with enhanced endothelial function and augmented skeletal muscle capillarity and mitochondrial volume density. The potential for EPI to improve peripheral vascular function and muscle oxygenation during exercise is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that EPI administration in healthy rats would improve treadmill exercise performance secondary to elevated skeletal muscle blood flow and vascular conductance [VC, blood flow/mean arterial pressure (MAP)] and improved skeletal muscle microvascular oxygenation. Rats received water (control, n = 12) or 4 mg/kg EPI (n = 12) via oral gavage daily for 24 days. Exercise endurance capacity and peak O(2) uptake (Vo(2) peak) were measured via treadmill runs to exhaustion. MAP (arterial catheter) and blood flow (radiolabeled microspheres) were measured and VC was calculated during submaximal treadmill exercise (25 m/min, 5% grade). Spinotrapezius muscle microvascular O(2) pressure (Po(2mv)) was measured (phosphorescence quenching) during electrically induced twitch (1 Hz) contractions. In conscious rats, EPI administration resulted in lower (↓~5%) resting (P = 0.03) and exercising (P = 0.04) MAP. There were no differences in exercise endurance capacity, Vo(2) peak, total exercising hindlimb blood flow (control, 154 ± 13; and EPI, 159 ± 8 ml·min(-1)·100 g(-1), P = 0.68), or VC (control, 1.13 ± 0.10; and EPI, 1.24 ± 0.08 ml·min(-1)·100 g(-1)·mmHg(-1), P = 0.21) between groups. Following anesthesia, EPI resulted in lower MAP (↓~16%) but did not impact resting Po(2mv) or any kinetics parameters (P > 0.05 for all) during muscle contractions compared with control. EPI administration (4 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1)) improved modestly cardiovascular function (i.e., ↓MAP) with no impact on exercise performance, total exercising skeletal muscle blood flow and VC, or contracting muscle microvascular oxygenation in healthy rats.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Effects of (−)-epicatechin (EPI) administration on mean arterial pressure (MAP). Protocol 1 (top): MAP measured at rest and during submaximal treadmill exercise. Within control and EPI conditions, exercise MAP was significantly different from rest (P < 0.05 for both: control, n = 11; and EPI, n = 11). Protocol 2 (bottom): MAP measured before and during the steady state of electrically induced spinotrapezius muscle contractions. There were no differences between MAP measurement time points within control and EPI groups (P > 0.05). Data are means ± SE; control, n = 10; and EPI, n = 10. *P < 0.05 vs. control.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Total hindlimb muscle blood flow and vascular conductance (VC) at rest and during submaximal treadmill exercise for control and EPI rats. Within control and EPI groups, exercising blood flow and VC were significantly different (P < 0.05 for all) from rest. There were no differences between control and EPI groups. Note different y-axis scales for rest and exercise graphs. Data are means ± SE; control, n = 11; and EPI: n = 11.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Average microvascular O2 pressure (Po2mv) profiles during electrically induced contractions of the spinotrapezius muscle in control and EPI rats. There were no differences between control and EPI at any time point. The onset of contractions at time 0 is indicated by the vertical dashed line. Data are means ± SE; control, n = 10; and EPI, n = 10.
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