The effect of endurance training on amount of nicotinic zcetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in fast and slow twitch muscle of male Wistar rats

Background: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of endurance training on amount of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in fast and slow twitch muscles of male Wistar rats.

Methods: A number of 15 male Wistar rats randomly divided into two groups of Control (n=7) and Endurance training (n=8). The endurance training treadmill running (for 12 consecutive week, 5 days a week, 60 min/day, 30 m/min speed) was performed by animals in endurance group. Forty-eight hours after last session of protocol, animals were anaesthetized and Anterior Tibialis (AT) and Soleus (SOL) muscles were removed. After removal, separated tissues were immersed quickly in liquid nitrogen and kept at -70 °C for later using. The amount of nAChR was measured using ELISA method. For data analysis, independent- sample t test was used.

Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in amount of nAChR between control and endurance training groups at fast twitch muscle followed by endurance training (p=0.01). There was also a significant difference in amount of nAChR between control and endurance training groups at slow twitch muscle (P<0.001). However, data analysis showed that there was no significant difference in amount of nAChR between training and control groups at fast and slow twitch muscles followed by endurance training (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Exercise training probably play an important role in increasing amount of nAChR in fast and  slow twitch muscles of male Wistar rats.