Exercise for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment From Molecular to Clinical, Part 1

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1.1.2 Cardiomyocytes Structures Content Changes Induced by Chronic

Exercise

Before the enzymatic dissociation technique was routinely used, some precious data

were derived from electron microscopy examination of cardiomyocytes content.

Morphometric analysis revealed that training leads to an increase in the volume

density of mitochondria, which is explained by an increase of their number [ 9 , 11 ]

as well as a 55% enlargement of the surface density of the sarcoplasmic reticulum

(SR) per unit of myofibrils (SR/myofibril ratio) and a pronounced hyperplasia of the

Golgi apparatus.

Table 5.1 Structural, contractile and electrophysiological effect of exercise training on healthy
cardiomyocytes

5 Structural, Contractile and Electrophysiological Adaptations of Cardiomyocytes...