Microvascular function and exercise training: Functional implication of nitric oxide signaling and ion channels

Abstract

Exercise training elicits indubitable positive adaptation in microcirculation in health and disease populations. The main physiological function of microvasculature is to maintain optimal blood flow regulation to supply oxygen and nutrition during elevated physical demands in the cardiovascular system. There are several cellular and molecular alterations in resistance vessels in response to exercise intervention, an increase in nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation through the regulation of oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and ion channels in endothelial cells, thus increasing myogenic tone via voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in smooth muscle cells. Here in the review, we postulate that exercise should be considered a medicine for people with diverse diseases through a comprehensive understanding of the cellular and molecular underlying mechanisms in microcirculation by exercise training.