Red alert for women's heart: the urgent need for more research and knowledge on cardiovascular disease in women: proceedings of the workshop held in Brussels on gender differences in cardiovascular disease, 29 September 2010.

A recent report of the EuroHeart project has shown that women are still underrepresented in many cardiovascular clinical trials, while important gender differences are present within most areas of heart disease. As the burden of cardiovascular disease is increasing in middle-aged women relative to men, a more profound understanding is needed of the fundamental biological differences that exist between men and women. In the current review, we aim to address the need for more explanatory sex-specific cardiovascular research to be able to adapt existing guidelines for a better heart health in women.

Effects of acute exercise and long-term exercise on total Na+,K+ -ATPase content and Na+,K+ -ATPase isoform expression profile in equine muscle.

Objective: To investigate the effects of acute exercise and long-term training on Na(+),K(+)-ATPase content, mRNA isoforms, and protein concentration in equine muscle.

Animals: 6 Standardbreds.

Procedures: Horses performed a bout of exercise on a treadmill before and after 18 weeks of combined interval and endurance training.

Effect of show jumping training on the development of locomotory muscle in young horses.

Objective: To investigate whether training for show jumping that is commenced early after birth affects the characteristics of equine locomotory muscle.

Animals: 19 Dutch Warmblood horses.

Procedures: Horses were assigned to a trained or not trained (control) group.

Effect of exercise on development of capillary supply and oxidative capacity in skeletal muscle of horses.

Objective: To determine whether postnatal development of oxidative capacity and capillary supply of skeletal muscle is affected by various movement regimens in horses.

Animals: 35 foals.

Procedures: Dutch Warmblood foals were allocated into 3 groups (box stall rest, box stall rest with training, and free pasture exercise).

Differential expression of calcineurin and SR Ca2+ handling proteins in equine muscle fibers during early postnatal growth.

During early postnatal development, the myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expression pattern in equine gluteus medius muscle shows adaptation to movement and load,resulting in a decrease in the number of fast MyHC fibers and an increase in the number of slow MyHC fibers. In the present study we correlated the expression of MyHC isoforms to the expression of sarcoplasmic(endo)reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 1 and 2a (SERCA), phospholamban (PLB), calcineurin A (CnA), and calcineurin B (CnB). Gluteus medius muscle biopsies were taken at 0, 2, 4, and 48 weeks and analyzed using immunofluorescence.

Presence of SERCA and calcineurin during fetal development of porcine skeletal muscle.

Mechanisms involved in skeletal myofiber differentiation during fetal development of large animals are poorly understood. Studies in small animals suggest that the calcineurin (Cn) pathway is involved in myofiber differentiation. Neural activity is a prerequisite for Cn activity, implying maintenance of sustained low intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations.

Myosin heavy chain isoforms in equine gluteus medius muscle: comparison of mRNA and protein expression profiles.

The major structural protein in skeletal muscle, myosin heavy chain (MyHC), is primarily transcriptionally controlled. We compared the expression of MyHC isoforms on the mRNA and protein level in biopsies from the m. gluteus medius from adult untrained horses.

Differential expression of equine myosin heavy-chain mRNA and protein isoforms in a limb muscle.

The horse is one of the few animals kept and bred for its athletic performance and is therefore an interesting model for human sports performance. The regulation of the development of equine locomotion in the first year of life, and the influence of early training on later performance, are largely unknown. The major structural protein in skeletal muscle, myosin heavy-chain (MyHC), is believed to be primarily transcriptionally controlled.