Left ventricle transcriptomic analysis reveals the initial decline in V?O2peak from its lifetime apex associates with connective tissue accumulation

Peak oxygen consumption (V?O2peak) strongly predicts morbidity and mortality better than other established risk factors, yet all mechanisms associated with its age-related decline are unknown. Our lab has shown that V?O2peak first begins to decrease at the same age of 19 weeks old in Wistar in both sedentary and wheel-running, female Wistar rats. Here, we employed RNA-sequencing to determine the extent to which transcriptomic alterations in the left ventricle associate with age-related decreases in V?O2peak. Transcriptomic comparisons were made within both sedentary (SED) and wheel-running (RUN) rats between 19 and 27 wks (n= 5-8/group).