Joan Ramon Torrella | Universitat de Barcelona (original) (raw)

Papers by Joan Ramon Torrella

Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, Oct 1, 2022

Introduction: People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are exposed to chronic hyp... more Introduction: People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are exposed to chronic hypoxia due to structural and functional damage to the respiratory system that disrupts O2 diffusion. These aspects decrease physical fitness, fatigue tolerance, and quality of life of people. It is recognized that physical exercise improves the physical condition of people with COPD; however, the effects of exercise on physical fitness and quality of life in people with COPD exposed to altitudinal hypoxia are poorly known. Purpose: To establish the effect of an 8-week physical exercise program on functional physical fitness and quality of life in people with COPD living at >2500m. Methods: The intervention was a physical exercise home program comprising physical training and health education sessions for COPD and control groups. The physical condition was measured with functional tests. Quality of Life was assessed after the impact of respiratory symptoms, and by evaluating functional i...

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Aug 22, 2022

Cortical and trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), cortical thickness and surface BM... more Cortical and trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), cortical thickness and surface BMD (sBMD, density-to-thickness ratio) were analyzed in the proximal femur of elite female football players and artistic swimmers using three-dimensional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (3D-DXA) software and compared to sedentary controls. Football players had significantly higher (p<0.05) vBMD (mg/cm3) in the trabecular (263±44) and cortical femur (886±69) than artistic swimmers (224±43 and 844±89) and sedentary controls (215±51 and 841±85). Football players had also higher (p<0.05) cortical thickness (2.12±0.19 mm) and sBMD (188±22 mg/cm2) compared to artistic swimmers (1.85±0.15 and 156±21) and sedentary controls (1.87±0.16 and 158±23). Artistic swimmers did not show significant differences in any parameter analyzed for 3D-DXA when compared to sedentary controls. The 3D-DXA modeling revealed statistical differences in cortical thickness and vBMD between female athletes engaged in weight-bearing (football) and non-weight bearing (swimming) sports and did not show differences between the non-weight bearing sport and the sedentary controls. 3D-DXA modeling could provide insight into bone remodeling in the sports field, allowing evaluation of femoral trabecular and cortical strength from standard DXA scans.

European Journal of Clinical Investigation, Mar 9, 2021

Special issue-In Utero and Early Life Programming of Aging and Disease" Background: Skeletal musc... more Special issue-In Utero and Early Life Programming of Aging and Disease" Background: Skeletal muscle (SM) adaptations to physical exercise (PE) has been extensively studied due, not only to the relevance of its in situ plasticity, but also to the SM endocrine-like effects in non-contractile tissues, such as brain, liver or adipocytes. Regular PE has been considered a pleiotropic nonpharmacological strategy to prevent and counteract the deleterious consequences of several metabolic, cardiovascular, oncological and neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, PE performed by parents seems to have a direct impact in the offspring through the transgenerational programming of different tissues, such as SM. In fact, SM offspring programming mechanisms seems to be orchestrated, at least in part, by epigenetic machinery conditioning transcriptional or post-transcriptional processes. Ultimately, PE performed in the early in life is also a critical window of opportunity to positively modulate the juvenile and adult phenotype. Methods: Following detailed electronic database search, recent existing evidences about the effects of parental and early-life PE on SM programming were reviewed. Results: Parental PE have a positive impact in several health-related offspring outcomes, such as SM metabolism, differentiation, morphology and ultimately in offspring exercise volition and endurance. Also, early-life PE counteracts conceptional-related adverse effects and induces long-lasting healthy benefits throughout adulthood. Additionally, epigenetics mechanisms seem to play a key role in the PE-induced SM adaptations. Conclusions: Despite the undoubtedly positive role of parental and early-life PE on SM phenotype, a strong research effort is still needed to better understand the mechanisms that positively regulate PE-induced SM programming.

Nutrients, Apr 30, 2023

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Physiological zoology, Jul 1, 1998

Life Sciences, Aug 1, 2015

The effects of exercise on cardiac and skeletal muscle, including the increase on mitochondrial f... more The effects of exercise on cardiac and skeletal muscle, including the increase on mitochondrial function, dynamics, biogenesis and autophagy signaling are well described. However, these same effects on liver mitochondria, important in the context of hepatocyte ability to mitigate drug-induced injury and obesity-related disorders, are not fully understood. Therefore, the effects of two distinct chronic exercise models (endurance training--ET and voluntary physical activity--VPA) on liver cellular and mitochondrial quality control were analyzed. Eighteen male-adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sedentary (SED), ET (12-week treadmill) and VPA (12-week voluntary free wheel). Liver mitochondrial alterations were evaluated by semi-quantification of proteins involved in oxidative stress (SIRT3, p66shc, p66(Ser36)), biogenesis (citrate synthase, PGC-1α and mtTFA), dynamics (MFN1, OPA1 and DRP1) and auto(mito)phagy (Beclin-1, Bcl-2, LC3II/LC3I, p62, Parkin and PINK) signaling. Liver ultrastructural alterations were also evaluated. Both exercise models induced beneficial alterations on liver mitochondrial morphology and increased mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC-1α and mtTFA), autophagy-related proteins (Beclin-1, LC3-II, LC3II/LC3I), and DRP1 and SIRT3 proteins. Increased citrate synthase activity and OPA1, p62 and Parkin content as well as decreased PINK protein levels were only observed after ET. VPA decreased OPA1, Beclin-1/Bcl-2, Parkin and p66(Ser36). Mitochondrial density and circularity increased in both exercised groups. Both chronic exercise models increased proteins related with mitochondrial biogenesis and alteration proteins involved in mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy signaling, suggesting that exercise can induce liver mitochondrial adaptive remodeling and hepatocyte renewal.

Cardiovascular Toxicology, May 23, 2017

The cross-tolerance effect of exercise against heart mitochondrial-mediated quality control, remo... more The cross-tolerance effect of exercise against heart mitochondrial-mediated quality control, remodeling and death-related mechanisms associated with sub-chronic Doxorubicin (DOX) treatment is yet unknown. We therefore analyzed the effects of two distinct chronic exercise models (endurance treadmill training-TM and voluntary free wheel activity-FW) performed during the course of the sub-chronic DOX treatment on mitochondrial susceptibility to permeability transition pore (mPTP), apoptotic and autophagic signaling and mitochondrial dynamics. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups (n = 6 per group): saline sedentary (SAL ? SED), SAL ? TM (12-weeks treadmill), SAL ? FW (12-weeks voluntary freewheel), DOX ? SED [7-weeks sub-chronic DOX treatment (2 mg kg-1 week-1)], DOX ? TM and DOX ? FW. Apoptotic signaling and mPTP regulation were followed by measuring caspase 3, 8 and 9 activities, Bax, Bcl2, CypD, ANT, and cophilin expression. Mitochondrial dynamics (Mfn1, Mfn2, OPA1 and DRP1) and auto(mito)phagy (LC3, Beclin1, Pink1, Parkin and p62)related proteins were semi-quantified. DOX treatment results in augmented mPTP susceptibility and apoptotic signaling (caspases 3, 8 and 9 and Bax/Bcl2 ratio). Moreover, DOX decreased the expression of fusion-related proteins (Mfn1, Mfn2, OPA1), increased DRP1 and the activation of auto(mito)phagy signaling. TM and FW prevented DOX-increased mPTP susceptibility and apoptotic signaling, alterations in mitochondrial dynamics and inhibits DOX-induced increases in auto(mito)phagy signaling. Collectively, our results suggest that both used chronic exercise models performed before and during the course of sub-chronic DOX treatment limit cardiac mitochondrialdriven apoptotic signaling and regulate alterations in mitochondrial dynamics and auto(mito)phagy in DOXtreated animals.

Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Feb 1, 1993

A histochemical method for demonstration of the cap== in skeletal muscle of birds is proposed. Th... more A histochemical method for demonstration of the cap== in skeletal muscle of birds is proposed. The present method, which is a modification of a previously reported myosin ATPase technique used for simultaneous staining of capillaries and fiber types, provides an accurate count of capillaries associated with different fiber types in avian skeletal musdes. We have applied the original and the modified method to serial adjacent sections of certain skeletal musdes and our results show that after the application of the original technique: (a) in muscles having dark Type Ii fibers, these fibers produce a masking effect on their adjacent capillaries: (b) a consistent and significant undetcounting in cap-' Supported in part by the ComisiBn Asesora Interministerial en Ciencia Tecnologia, Grant PB90-0017.

Mitochondrion, Jul 1, 2019

Doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used and efficient antineoplastic agent, is mainly limited by cardiot... more Doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used and efficient antineoplastic agent, is mainly limited by cardiotoxicity, although other tissues including liver are also affected. The effects of exercise to cope with DOX side-effects has already been studied in the heart and brain, demonstrating successful results. However, the benefits of this nonpharmacological strategy have not been so extensively checked in the liver. We here aimed to ascertain whether exercise could mitigate DOX-induced liver harmful effects using mitochondria as a model for evaluating toxicity. Twenty-four male rats were divided into four groups: SED+SAL (sedentary with saline administration), SED+DOX (sedentary with DOX administration), ET+DOX (endurance-trained with DOX administration) and VPA+DOX (voluntary physical activity with DOX administration). Isolated liver mitochondria were obtained for evaluation of their respiratory activity and transmembrane electrical potential endpoints. Molecular markers of oxidative damage (carbonyls, MDA, aconitase, MnSOD), mitochondrial dynamics (PGC-1α, TFAM, OPA1, DRP1, MNF1MFN1) and auto(mito)phagy signaling (p62, LC3, Beclin1, Bcl-2, PINK, Parkin) were measured. Transmission electron microscopy evaluation was used to analyze mitochondrial morphological alterations. When compared to SED+SAL, respiratory function of SED+DOX was compromised. Also Decreased SOD and aconitase activities and increased MDA content, decreases in PGC-1α, TFAM, OPA1 and MNF1MFN1 expressions, and increases in DRP1 and LC3II/LC3I ratio were also observed after DOX administration. However, these alterations were reverted or mitigated in the ET+DOX group. Semi-quantitative and qualitative analyses from microphotographs showed that liver mitochondria of SED+DOX animals were more circular and had lower density, whereas the animals with exercise showed a tendency to revert this phenotype and increase the mitochondrial density. Taken together, our results suggest that physical exercise, particularly ET, positively reversed the deleterious effects caused by DOX administration, such as oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and altered mitochondrial dynamics toward fission, thus contributing to increase liver resistance against DOX administration.

Journal of Comparative Physiology B-biochemical Systemic and Environmental Physiology, Jul 1, 1996

Six locomotory muscles from wild mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) were analysed by histochemica... more Six locomotory muscles from wild mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) were analysed by histochemical methods. Special care was taken in sample procedure in order to describe the heterogeneity found throughout each muscle. Capillarity and fibre-type distributions were correlated to the functional implications and physiological needs of each muscle. Comparisons between our results and similar previous reports on dabbling and diving ducks

Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 2021

Frontiers in Physiology, 2020

A crucial subject in sports is identifying the inter-individual variation in response to training... more A crucial subject in sports is identifying the inter-individual variation in response to training, which would allow creating individualized pre-training schedules, improving runner's performance. We aimed to analyze heterogeneity in individual responses to two half-marathon training programs differing in running volume and intensity in middleaged recreational women. 20 women (40 ± 7 years, 61 ± 7 kg, 167 ± 6 cm, and VO 2 max = 48 ± 6 mL•kg −1 •min −1) underwent either moderate-intensity continuous (MICT) or high-intensity interval (HIIT) 12-week training. They were evaluated before and after training with maximal incremental tests in the laboratory (VO 2 max) and in the field (time to exhaustion, TTE; short interval series and long run). All the women participated in the same half-marathon and their finishing times were compared with their previous times. Although the improvements in the mean finishing times were not significant, MICT elicited a greater reduction (3 min 50 s, P = 0.298), with more women (70%) improving on their previous times, than HIIT (reduction of 2 min 34 s, P = 0.197, 50% responders). Laboratory tests showed more differences in the HIIT group (P = 0.008), while both groups presented homogeneous significant (P < 0.05) increases in TTE. Both in the short interval series and in the long run, HIIT induced better individual improvements, with a greater percentage of responders compared to MICT (100% vs 50% in the short series and 78% vs 38% in the long run). In conclusion, variability in interindividual responses was observed after both MICT and HIIT, with some participants showing improvements (responders) while others did not (non-responders) in different performance parameters, reinforcing the idea that individualized training prescription is needed to optimize performance.

Aquaculture, Feb 1, 2019

Exercise training in fish leads to enhanced growth, mostly in salmonids, but also in gilthead sea... more Exercise training in fish leads to enhanced growth, mostly in salmonids, but also in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). Most of the published studies have involved juveniles or adult fish, but little is known about the effects of exercise on early stages of fish growth. Our study aimed to examine the effect of sustained swimming on the growth of gilthead sea bream fingerlings, by analysing white muscle cellularity and capillarisation. Two groups of fingerlings were compared: the exercise group (EX), forced to swim at five body lengths•s −1 , and the control group (CT), maintained under still water flow and showing only voluntary swimming. After 5 weeks the EX group had a significantly higher body weight (CT: 17.5 ± 0.46; EX: 20.3 ± 0.38 g, p < .001) without significant differences in muscle-somatic index (CT: 34.9%; EX: 37.3%). The white muscle of EX fish showed significant reductions in fibre cross-sectional area (FCSA) and fibre perimeter (FPER), by 21% (p < .05) and 10% (p < .0.5) respectively, with no differences in fibre circularity. The number of small fibres (with FCSA < 2000 μm 2) was significantly (p < .05) higher in the EX than in the CT group. Therefore, the distribution of FCSA demonstrated an increase in hyperplasic processes in EX fish. Total muscle capillary density (CD) and the capillarisation of individual fibres (expressed as the number of capillaries per unit FCSA) of the EX group also increased significantly (p < .05 and p < .001, respectively). In summary, sustained aerobic exercise in the early stages of life of gilthead sea bream enhances body growth, increasing total muscle mass by hyperplasia and determining a more aerobic muscle phenotype by increasing individual fibre capillarisation.

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, May 1, 2016

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-molecular & Integrative Physiology, Apr 1, 2007

Short-term intermittent hypoxia exposure, at a level well tolerated by healthy humans and previou... more Short-term intermittent hypoxia exposure, at a level well tolerated by healthy humans and previously shown by our group to increase erythropoietin and erythropoiesis, could mobilize hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and increase their presence in peripheral circulation. Four healthy male volunteers were subjected to three protocols: one with only hypoxic stimulus (OH), another with hypoxic stimulus plus muscle electrostimulation (HME), and the third with only muscle electrostimulation (OME). Intermittent hypobaric hypoxia exposure consisted of three sessions of 3 h inside a hypobaric chamber at a barometric pressure 535 hPa (equivalent to an altitude of 5,000 m) for 3 consecutive days. Muscular electrostimulation was performed in two separate periods of 25 min within each session. Blood samples were obtained from an antecubital vein on 3 consecutive days immediately before the experiment and 24, 48 h, 4, and 7 days after the last day of hypoxic exposure. There was a clear increase in the number of circulating CD34+ cells but only after the experimental program combining hypobaric hypoxia and muscular electrostimulation. This response was not observed after the isolated application of the same stimuli. Our results open a new application field for intermittent hypobaric hypoxia as a way to increase peripheral HSC concentration. Muscle electrostimulation combined with hypoxia can be a useful tool for patients with a wide variety of conditions limiting classical physical exercise.

Frontiers in Physiology, May 31, 2021

The benefits of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) exposure for health and its potential use as... more The benefits of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) exposure for health and its potential use as a training tool are well-documented. However, since hypobaric hypoxia and cold are environmental factors always strongly associated in the biosphere, additive or synergistic adaptations could have evolved in animals' genomes. For that reason, the aim of the present study was to investigate body composition and hematological and muscle morphofunctional responses to simultaneous intermittent exposure to hypoxia and cold. Adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups: (1) control, maintained in normoxia at 25 • C (CTRL); (2) IHH exposed 4 h/day at 4,500 m (HYPO); (3) intermittent cold exposed 4 h/day at 4 • C (COLD); and (4) simultaneously cold and hypoxia exposed (COHY). At the end of 9 and 21 days of exposure, blood was withdrawn and gastrocnemius (GAS) and tibialis anterior muscles, perigonadal and brown adipose tissue, diaphragm, and heart were excised. GAS transversal sections were stained for myofibrillar ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase for fiber typing and for endothelial ATPase to assess capillarization. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) from GAS samples were semi-quantified by Western blotting. COLD and HYPO underwent physiological adjustments such as higher brown adipose tissue weight and increase in blood-related oxygen transport parameters, while avoiding some negative effects of chronic exposure to cold and hypoxia, such as body weight and muscle mass loss. COHY presented an additive erythropoietic response and was prevented from right ventricle hypertrophy. Intermittent cold exposure induced muscle angiogenesis, and IHH seems to indicate better muscle oxygenation through fiber area reduction.