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Pigeons flying for 1 year were compared with their nonflying littermates. The physically active animals proved to have higher weights of the heart and breast muscle. In both tissues, a significantly higher water content was found in animals with restricted activity.The heart and breast muscle of the pigeon are characterized by high capillary counts (over 4000 capillaries/mm2 in the heart muscle and over 2000 capillaries/mm2 in the breast muscle). The capillary density in the heart muscle was the same in both groups, while the capillary density in the breast muscle was significantly lower in the physically active animals.

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Resistance to isoproterenol-induced cardiac necrosis (IPRO) was compared in rats exposed to two types of hypoxia (i.e., hypobaric and anemic). IPRO was induced by two consecutive, subcutaneous injections of isoproterenol (80 mg/kg) at 24-h intervals. The animals were killed on the third day and the severity of the lesion was evaluated on a 0 (no damage) to 4 (severely damaged) scale. White male rats (HA) were exposed in a barometric chamber to a simulated altitude of 7,000 m (307 mmHg) for 4 h/day for 24 days. Two groups of control rats were kept at sea level; one group (SLA) was the same age and one group (SLW) was the same weight as the altitude-exposed rats. The HA rats were significantly more resistant to IPRO with a mean necrogenic rating of 1.8 compared to 3.3 for the SLA and SLW rats. Infant rats (AA) were made anemic by feeding full-cream milk and glucose for 100 days after weaning. Two groups of control animals were fed a standard laboratory diet; one group (AC) was the same age and one group (AW) was the same weight as the AA rats. There was no significant difference in the necrogenic ratings of the AA (3.3), AC (3.5), or WC (3.7) hearts. Thus, hypobaric hypoxia affords some protection against IPRO which is not afforded by anemic hypoxia. Similarities and differences in the two hypoxias are discussed.

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