Impaired training-induced angiogenesis process with loss of pericyte-endothelium interactions is associated with an abnormal capillary remodelling in the skeletal muscle of COPD patients

Table 2 Functional and histomorphologic changes in response to exercise training in COPD patients and SHS

	Pre-training		Post-training		p-value
	COPD	SHS	COPD	SHS	p-value
Functional parameters
$ \mathrm{V}\dot {\mathrm{O}}_{2\mathrm{sl}} $(% pred.)	69.3 (17.3) ‡	113.7 (12.7)	72.44 (17.2) ‡	125.6 (9.6) ^### _$	T: p = 0.004 G: p < 0.001 GxT: p = 0.020
$ \mathrm{V}\dot {\mathrm{O}}_{2\mathrm{sl}} $ (ml/min/kg)	19.8 (4.7) ‡	30.1 (4.4)	21.6 (4.1) ‡	33.1 (7.9) ^## _$	T: p = 0.009 G: p < 0.001 GxT: p = 0.046
6MWD (%pred.)	77.2 (10.7)	94.0 (7.3)	84.2 (11.5)	98.7 (7.7)	T: p < 0.001 G: p = 0.006 GxT: NS
6MWD (m)	539.6 (60.9)	643.3 (60.9)	591.2 (72.4)	684.6 (60.5)	T: p < 0.001 G: p = 0.010 GxT: NS
Tlim_quad (sec)	299.6 (123.4)	588.6 (382.2)	388.6 (201.2) _£	830.3 (467)	T: p = 0.009 G: p = 0.024 GxT: NS
Histomorphologic parameters
C/F ratio	1.29 (0.3) *	1.67 (0.3)	1.49 (0.3) ^## ‡	2.18 (0.4) ^###	T: p < 0.001 G: p = 0.004 GxT: p = 0.003

Data are presented as mean (SD). $ \mathrm{V}\dot {\mathrm{O}}_{2\mathrm{sl}} $: symptom-limited oxygen uptake, 6MWD 6-min walking distance, Tlim_quad: endurance time of quadriceps, C/F ratio Capillary-to-fibre ratio. _$: n = 5, _£: n = 8. Linear mixed-effect model, G Group effect, T Time effect, GxT Group x Time interaction. Post-hoc analysis for GxT: different from SHS group at same time: *p < 0.05; † p < 0.01; ‡ p < 0.001. Different from pre-training: ^## p < 0.01; ^### p < 0.001

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