Fig. 3
Effects of long-term aerobic exercise on vascular relaxation with or without PVAT. a-d Concentration–response curves to SNP in NC, NE, HC, and HE for aortic with or without PVAT. e Summarized pIC50 values obtained from concentration–response curves to SNP. f Summarized Rmax values of SNP induced relaxation. The results are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 3–6). Differences between groups were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by LSD; a paired t-test was used to compare the vascular contractions with and without PVAT from the same intervention group; * indicates P < 0.05. PVAT perivascular adipose tissue, PVAT + aortic rings with PVAT, PVAT-aortic rings without PVAT, SNP sodium nitroprusside, PE phenylephrine, Rmax maximum relaxation, expressed as a percentage of PE maximum contractibility, pIC50 the negative logarithm of the 50% maximal effective concentration of SNP, NC normal diet control group, NE normal diet exercise group, HC high-fat diet control group, HE high-fat diet exercise group