Morphometric analysis of the myocardial tissue; values presented as mean ± standard deviation.

<p>(A) Cardiomyocite cross-sectional area (µm²); (B) cardiomyocyte nuclear volume (µm³); (C) collagen interstitial fraction (%). C: control group; CL: control group treated with losartan; OB: obese group; OBL: obese group treated with losartan; <b>*</b> p<0.05 vs. C group; #p<0.05 vs. OB group; † p<0.05 vs. CL group; ANOVA and Tukey's test.</p

Nutritional and endocrine evaluation.

<p>Values expressed as mean ± SD; NEFA: non-esterified fatty acid; AUC: area under curve from glucose tolerance test response; HOMA-IR: homeostatic model assessment index; * p<0.05, ** p<0.01 vs. Control (C) group; #p<0.05, ##p<0.01 vs. OB; † p<0.05, †† p<0.01 vs. CL; ANOVA and Tukey test.</p

Protein levels of angiotensin and MAPK isoforms in myocardial tissue; values presented as mean ± standard deviation.

<p>Protein levels were normalized to GAPDH levels. (A) Angiotensin levels; (B) ERK levels; (C) JNK levels; C (n = 6): control group; CL (n = 6): control group treated with losartan; OB (n = 6): obese group; OBL (n = 6): obese group treated with losartan; <b>*</b> p<0.05 vs. C group; #p<0.05 vs. OB group; ANOVA and Tukey's test.</p

Serum glycemic levels following intraperitoneal glucose loads in (A) glucose tolerance test (GTT) and (B) insulin tolerance test; Data are expressed as means±SE; C: control group; CL: control group treated with losartan; OB: obese group; OBL: obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05, OB vs. C group; #p<0.05, OB vs. OBL group; Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni's test.

<p>Serum glycemic levels following intraperitoneal glucose loads in (A) glucose tolerance test (GTT) and (B) insulin tolerance test; Data are expressed as means±SE; C: control group; CL: control group treated with losartan; OB: obese group; OBL: obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05, OB vs. C group; #p<0.05, OB vs. OBL group; Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni's test.</p

Blood pressure and echocardiography study.

<p>Values expressed as mean ± standard deviation; SBP: systolic blood pressure; LA: left atrium diameter; LVEDd: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter; LVESd: left ventricular end-systolic diameter; PWT: posterior wall diastolic thickness of the left ventricle; IVST: interventricular septum diastolic thickness; LV relative thickness: relation between LV posterior wall systolic thickness and LVEDd; EFS: endocardium fraction shortening; PWSV: posterior wall shortening velocity; E/A: ratio between E and A waves evaluated in transmitral flow; DTE: E wave deceleration time; IVRT: LV isovolumetric relaxation time; IVRT/R-R0.5: ratio between IVRT and R-R heart rate interval; * p<0.05, ** p<0.01 vs. Control (C) group; #p<0.05, ##p<0.01 vs. OB; † p<0.05, †† p<0.01 vs. CL; ANOVA and Tukey test.</p

Protein levels of p85α subunit of PI 3-kinase (PI3K) in total and phosphorylated tyrosine forms in myocardial tissue; values presented as mean ± standard deviation.

<p>Total protein levels were normalized to GAPDH levels. (A) protein bands for PI3K, phosphor-Tyr-PI3K, and GAPDH; (B) PI3K expression values; (C) phospho-Tyr-PI3K expression values; C (n = 6): control group; CL (n = 6): control group treated with losartan; OB (n = 6): obese group; OBL (n = 6): obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05 vs. C group; #p<0.05 vs. OB group; † p<0.05 vs. CL group; ANOVA and Tukey's test.</p

Protein levels of β-subunit of insulin receptor (βIR) in total and tyrosine phosphorylated forms in myocardial tissue; values presented as mean ± standard deviation.

<p>Total protein levels were normalized to GAPDH levels. (A) proteins bands for βIR, phosphor-Tyr-βIR and GAPDH; (B) βIR expression values; (C) phospho-Tyr-βIR expression values; C (n = 6): control group; CL (n = 6): control group treated with losartan; OB (n = 6): obese group; OBL (n = 6): obese group treated with losartan; * p<0.05 vs. C group; #p<0.05 vs. OB group; ANOVA and Tukey's test.</p

Soleus (A) and plantaris (B) muscle fiber-type frequencies.

<p>Representative photographs of mATPase reaction after preincubation at pH 4.5 and the data of the muscle fiber-type frequencies in Sham-UN, Sham-ET, AS-UN, and AS-ET groups. (Type I; type IIA; type IID; and type IIB). Soleus (A), type I and IIA *p<0.05 vs. Sham-UN; †p<0.05 vs. AS-UN. Plantaris (B), type IIA and IID, *p<0.05 vs. Sham-UN; †p<0.05 vs. AS-UN.</p

Blood lactate concentration in the AS-ET and Sham-ET groups assessed on the 1^st, 4^th and 7^th weeks by incremental load test.

<p>Values are expressed as the mean ± SD. Significant differences (p<0.05) at the same time were in AS-ET group: a. vs. 9 m/min; b. vs. 15 m/min; and c. vs. 18 m/min. Sham-ET: d. vs. 12 m/min; e. vs. 21 m/min; and f. vs. 24 m/min.</p

Cross sectional area (µm²) of the two major soleus muscle fiber types after ET.

<p>Data are expressed as mean ± SD.</p><p>*p<0.05 vs. Sham-UN;</p>†<p>p<0.05 vs. AS-UN.</p><p>One-way ANOVA + Tukey test.</p><p>Cross sectional area (µm²) of the two major soleus muscle fiber types after ET.</p