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- Title
Skeletal muscle characteristics, muscle strength and thigh muscle area in patients before and after cardiac transplantation.
- Authors
Schaufelberger, Maria; Eriksson, Bengt O.; Lönn, Lars; Rundqvist, Bengt; Sunnerhagen, Katharina Stibrant; Swedberg, Karl; Schaufelberger, M; Eriksson, B O; Lönn, L; Rundqvist, B; Sunnerhagen, K S; Swedberg, K
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Patients with chronic heart failure demonstrate several skeletal muscle abnormalities. The underlying mechanisms are unclear. After cardiac transplantation, cardiac function is restored, but exercise capacity is still impaired.<bold>Aim: </bold>To evaluate the influence of cardiac transplantation on skeletal muscle fibre composition, fibre area and capillarization as well as muscle enzymes, lactate, thigh muscle area and strength.<bold>Methods: </bold>Ten patients were longitudinally investigated before, 1-3 and 6-9 months after transplantation. Ten healthy individuals served as controls. A biopsy from the lateral vastus muscle was obtained and the thigh muscle area was measured with computed tomography. Muscle strength in the knee extensors and exercise capacity were also evaluated.<bold>Results: </bold>Muscle lactate was elevated in patients vs. controls (3.6+/-3.0 vs. 1.5+/-0.7 mmol/kg wet wt., P=0.037), and decreased to normal (1.4+/-0.3 mmol/kg wet wt., P=0.038) after transplantation. Citrate synthase activity was decreased in patients (5.6+/-1.5 micromol/g wet wt./min) vs. controls (8.1+/-1.6 micromol/g wet wt./min, P=0.0018), and did not change post transplantation. Patients had decreased number of capillaries in contact with each fibre vs. controls (2.6+/-0.5 vs. 3.5+/-1.0, P=0.039) which persisted post transplantation. Exercise capacity increased after transplantation (74+/-22 vs. 118+/-26 W, P=0.0002), whereas muscle strength did not improve significantly.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>The persisting intrinsic abnormalities in skeletal muscle after cardiac transplantation may contribute to the impaired exercise capacity observed in cardiac transplant recipients.
- Subjects
SKELETAL muscle; MUSCLE strength; HEART failure patients; HEMODYNAMICS; HEART transplantation
- Publication
European Journal of Heart Failure, 2001, Vol 3, Issue 1, p59
- ISSN
1388-9842
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1016/S1388-9842(00)00114-8