Effects of therapy on maximal walking time following femoral ligation in the rat.

Maximal walking times at a constant rate of 10 m/min were compared in normal rats, normal rats that had been exercised daily for 6 weeks, and rats that had undergone bilateral femoral artery ligation followed by 6 weeks of either an oral vasodilator, absence of sympathetic impulses to the extremities, cold exposure, or daily exercise. Rats maintained on the vasodilator could walk no farther than untreated, ligated rats. Both chronic cold exposure and sympathectomy significantly increased maximal walking distances of ligated rats and daily exercise increased maximal walking distances 7-fold. Rats that had received 6 weeks of exercise training following femoral artery ligation could walk longer than normal untrained rats; therefore, the increased exercise tolerance could not be explained solely by the restoration of normal large artery conductance by enlargement of collaterals bypassing the femoral occlusion.