Quercetin treatment Rats were supplemented, during the training period, with quercetin (QU995; Quercegen Pharma, Newton, MA, USA) on alternate days at a dose of 25 mg/kg. This dose has been reported to improve mitochondrial biogenesis and endurance capacity in sedentary mice [6]. Quercetin was diluted in a 1% solution of methilcellulose, and was administered

using a metal gavage. Oral gavage was performed to ensure that 25 mg/kg of quercetin was introduced into the stomach. Quercetin also contained vitamins B3 and C, which have VE-822 manufacturer been shown to increase the bioavailability of quercetin (personal communication, Quercegen Pharma). The PT and PS groups were also supplemented with methilcellulose and vitamin B3 and C with the same concentration as in QT and QS. Training protocol Trained animals were exercised five days per week during six weeks on a motorized treadmill (Panlab TREADMILLS for five rats LE 8710R).

We followed a modification of the protocol of Davies et al [23]. Animals ran at a constant speed of 44 cm/s and at 10% grade. The first day’s training session was 20-minutes long, and every two days the work period was increased by five minutes. On the last day of the fifth week they were required to run for a full 80 minutes. This work duration was maintained during the sixth week. The untrained group was exercised at the same speed

and grade for only 10 minutes twice per week, in order to ensure that they were able to selleck chemicals perform the tests performed at the end of the treatment. Twenty-four hours after the last training selleck screening library session, all animals performed a graded high-intensity treadmill test to determine VO2 peak using a treadmill gas analyzer (Model LE405, Panlab/Harvard Apparatus) previously calibrated with mixtures of O2 and CO2 at different concentrations. After an initial two minutes with no grade at 22 cm/s, treadmill speed was increased by 11 cm/s every two minutes. The test was finished when the rat was exhausted and located at the end of the treadmill, on the shock bar, for GPX6 5 seconds, when rats were quickly removed [24]. VO2 peak was defined as the highest 20” interval recorded during the test. Blood lactate was measured before and immediately after the test using a Lactate-Pro analyzer, blood was taken from a small cut in the rat’s tail. After twenty-four hours of recovery a low-intensity endurance test was performed. Each rat was required to run to exhaustion at 44 cm/s at a 10% grade. The test finished when the animal was visibly exhausted, not able to maintain the appropriate pace, and this resulted in a rising frequency of landings on the electrical shock grid [24]. The endpoint was marked by the rat’s inability to return to the treadmill belt, and to stand on a flat surface.