Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 65, Issue 2 693-699, Copyright © 1988 by American Physiological Society
Site-specific adipose tissue LPL responses to endurance training in female lean Zucker rats
R. Savard and M. R. Greenwood
Vassar College, Department of Biology, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601.
The effects of endurance exercise training on adipose tissue have been
investigated in female lean Zucker rats. Adult trained rats (TR) were
followed throughout a swimming program of 5 wk and were compared with a
littermate control sedentary group (SED). Data were collected on days 0,
14, 24, and 36 of the training program. Body weight gain and cumulative
food intake were significantly lower in TR than in SED (P less than 0.05).
Gastrocnemius citrate synthase activity was increased in TR by day 14 of
training (P less than 0.05) and was followed by a second significant
increase between days 24 and 36 (P less than 0.05). Although inguinal
(ING), parametrial (PAR), and retroperitoneal (RP) cell sizes were
decreased by the swimming program (P less than 0.05), adipose tissue
lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity was suppressed (P less than 0.05) by
training during the first 24 days in PAR and RP depots only. Thereafter,
PAR and RP LPL activities increased in TR animals (P less than 0.05) to
reach values similar to SED at the end of the study. These results further
establish the regionally specific response of adipose tissue metabolism to
endurance training. They also suggest that, when fat cell triacylglycerol
depletion reaches a smaller level, LPL activity could be involved in the
process of stabilizing fat cell size.
