Abstract
During this investigation the effects of heat acclimation and exercise on creatine kinase and creatine kinase BB isoenzyme responses in various tissues and serum of male SpragueβDawley rats were ascertained. Forty rats were randomly divided into two groups of 20 rats each. One group was housed at 22Β±1Β°C and the other at 33Β±1Β°C. Each of the two groups were subdivided into two subgroups of ten rats each. One subgroup of each group was subjected to a programme of treadmill running of progressive intensity over a period of 6 weeks at the temperature at which it was housed while the other served as a resting control. At the end of the acclimation programme the rats were running at 23m/min for 80min. On the day of sacrifice all four subgroups were subjected to a discontinuous exercise protocol (10min running alternated by a 2βmin rest period; repeated three times) at 30Β±1Β°C on a rodent treadmill at 23m/min. The tissues investigated were kidney, heart and muscle. The rats were anaesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (6mg/100g body mass) injected intraperitoneally. The tissues were freezeβclamped and stored in liquid air until analysed. The body temperature of the four subgroups at the end of the experimental protocol were not significantly different. Acclimation at 33Β±1Β°C resulted in significantly lower creatine kinase activity levels. Exercise at 30Β±1Β°C also resulted in decreased creatine kinase activity levels in both acclimated groups. A similar trend was observed regarding creatine kinase BB isoenzyme activity levels, especially in kidney.