Effect of chronic heart failure in older rats on respiratory muscle and hindlimb blood flow during submaximal exercise

Submaximal exercise diaphragm blood flow (BF) is elevated in young chronic heart failure (CHF) rats, while it is unknown if this occurs in older animals. Respiratory and hindlimb muscle BFs (radiolabeled microspheres) were measured at rest and during submaximal exercise (20 m/min, 5% grade) in older healthy (n = 7) and CHF (n = 6) Fischer 344X Brown Norway rats (27-29 mo old). Older CHF, compared to healthy, rats had greater (p < 0.01) left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and right ventricle and lung weight (normalized to body weight). During submaximal exercise, respiratory and hindlimb muscle BFs increased (p < 0.02) in both groups, while diaphragm BF was higher (CHF: 257 ± 32; healthy: 121 ± 9 mL/min/100 g, p < 0.01) and hindlimb BF lower (CHF: 111 ± 10; healthy: 133 ± 12 mL/min/100 g, p = 0.04) in older CHF compared to healthy rats. Submaximal exercise hindlimb BF was negatively related (r = −0.93; p = 0.03) to diaphragm BF in older CHF rats. During submaximal exercise, diaphragm BF is elevated in older CHF compared to healthy rats in proportion to the compromised hindlimb BF.