Different stimulation methods for the rat treadmill exercise model used in cardiovascular disease research
- 1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fuzhou First General Hospital Affiliated with Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- 2Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute of Fuzhou City, Fuzhou, China
- 3The School of Clinical Medicine, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Abstract
Objective: This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of different stimulation methods on continuous treadmill exercise in rats, and to provide a rat treadmill exercise model used in cardiovascular disease research.
Methods: Experimental rats were divided into 3 exercise intensity groups: low-intensity(L-EX), moderate-intensity(M-EX), and high-intensity(H-EX). Different stimulation methods (tactile, auditory, light, and electrical) were used to intervene when rats stopped during treadmill training. The number of successful stimulations was counted, and electrocardiograms (ECG) of the exercise process were recorded.
Results: The success rate of both tactile stimulation and electrical stimulation was higher in the 3 different exercise intensity groups. The success rate of auditory stimulation was lower in the H-EX group than in the L-EX and M-EX groups. The success rate of light stimulation gradually decreased with the increase in exercise intensity. Overall, the other three stimulation methods were more successful than light stimulation. Furthermore, when electrical stimulation was used, ECG recordings showed marked baseline drift and waveform distortion caused by electrical artifacts, which made reliable interpretation of cardiac signals difficult.
Conclusion: In constructing a rat treadmill exercise model for cardiovascular disease research, tactile stimulation appears preferable among the tested methods when the rat stops on the treadmill, as it effectively motivates continued running without interfering with ECG recordings.
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BibTeX
@article{jiang2026different,
title = {{Different stimulation methods for the rat treadmill exercise model used in cardiovascular disease research}},
author = {Yu Jiang and Lihua Fang and Jingwen Xiao and Qinfei Wei and Xiaona Lin and Yan Zhang},
journal = {Frontiers in Physiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fphys.2026.1905960},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2026.1905960},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Different stimulation methods for the rat treadmill exercise model used in cardiovascular disease research
AU - Yu Jiang
AU - Lihua Fang
AU - Jingwen Xiao
AU - Qinfei Wei
AU - Xiaona Lin
AU - Yan Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Frontiers in Physiology
DO - 10.3389/fphys.2026.1905960
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2026.1905960
AB - Objective: This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of different stimulation methods on continuous treadmill exercise in rats, and to provide a rat treadmill exercise model used in cardiovascular disease research. Methods: Experimental rats were divided into 3 exercise intensity groups: low-intensity(L-EX), moderate-intensity(M-EX), and high-intensity(H-EX). Different stimulation methods (tactile, auditory, light, and electrical) were used to intervene when rats stopped during treadmill training. The number of successful stimulations was counted, and electrocardiograms (ECG) of the exercise process were recorded. Results: The success rate of both tactile stimulation and electrical stimulation was higher in the 3 different exercise intensity groups. The success rate of auditory stimulation was lower in the H-EX group than in the L-EX and M-EX groups. The success rate of light stimulation gradually decreased with the increase in exercise intensity. Overall, the other three stimulation methods were more successful than light stimulation. Furthermore, when electrical stimulation was used, ECG recordings showed marked baseline drift and waveform distortion caused by electrical artifacts, which made reliable interpretation of cardiac signals difficult. Conclusion: In constructing a rat treadmill exercise model for cardiovascular disease research, tactile stimulation appears preferable among the tested methods when the rat stops on the treadmill, as it effectively motivates continued running without interfering with ECG recordings.
SN - 1664-042X
ER -