scholarly journals Exercise-induced brachial artery blood flow and vascular function is impaired in systemic sclerosis

2016 ◽  
Vol 311 (6) ◽  
pp. H1375-H1381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Machin ◽  
Heather L. Clifton ◽  
Ryan S. Garten ◽  
Jayson R. Gifford ◽  
Russell S. Richardson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Systemic Sclerosis ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Vascular Dysfunction ◽  
Artery Blood Flow ◽  
Handgrip Exercise ◽  
Brachial Artery Diameter ◽  
Exercise Induced

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by debilitating fibrosis and vascular dysfunction; however, little is known about the circulatory response to exercise in this population. Therefore, we examined the peripheral hemodynamic and vasodilatory responses to handgrip exercise in 10 patients with SSc (61 ± 4 yr) and 15 age-matched healthy controls (56 ± 5 yr). Brachial artery diameter, blood flow, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were determined at rest and during progressive static-intermittent handgrip exercise. Patients with SSc and controls were similar in body stature, handgrip strength, and MAP; however, brachial artery blood flow at rest was nearly twofold lower in patients with SSc compared with controls (22 ± 4 vs. 42 ± 5 ml/min, respectively; P < 0.05). Additionally, SSc patients had an ∼18% smaller brachial artery lumen diameter with an ∼28% thicker arterial wall at rest ( P < 0.05). Although, during handgrip exercise, there were no differences in MAP between the groups, exercise-induced hyperemia and therefore vascular conductance were ∼35% lower at all exercise workloads in patients with SSc ( P < 0.05). Brachial artery vasodilation, as assessed by the relationship between Δbrachial artery diameter and Δshear rate, was significantly attenuated in the patients with SSc ( P < 0.05). Finally, vascular dysfunction in the patients with SSc was accompanied by elevated blood markers of oxidative stress and attenuated endogenous antioxidant activity ( P < 0.05). Together, these findings reveal attenuated exercise-induced brachial artery blood flow and conduit arterial vasodilatory dysfunction during handgrip exercise in SSc and suggest that elevated oxidative stress may play a role.

scholarly journals Measuring peripheral resistance and conduit arterial structure in humans using Doppler ultrasound

2005 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 2311-2315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise H. Naylor ◽  
Cara J. Weisbrod ◽  
Gerry O'Driscoll ◽  
Daniel J. Green
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Peripheral Resistance ◽  
Artery Blood Flow ◽  
Brachial Artery Diameter ◽  
Resistance Vessel ◽  
Conduit Artery ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Vessel Structure

The purpose of this study was to establish valid indexes of conduit and resistance vessel structure in humans by using edge detection and wall tracking of high-resolution B-mode arterial ultrasound images, combined with synchronized Doppler waveform envelope analysis, to calculate conduit artery blood flow and diameter continuously across the cardiac cycle. Nine subjects aged 36.7 (9.2) yr underwent, on separate days, assessment of brachial artery blood flow and diameter response to 5-, 10-, and 15-min periods of forearm ischemia in the presence and absence of combined sublingual glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) administration. Two further sessions examined responses to ischemic exercise, one in combination with GTN. The peak brachial artery diameter was observed in response to the combination of ischemic exercise and GTN; a significant difference existed between resting brachial artery diameter and peak brachial artery diameter, indicating that resting diameter may be a poor measure of conduit vessel structure in vivo. Peak brachial artery flow was also observed in response to a combination of forearm ischemia exercise and GTN administration, the response being greater than that induced by periods of ischemia, GTN, or ischemic exercise alone. These data indicate that noninvasive indexes of conduit and resistance vessel structure can be simultaneously determined in vivo in response to a single, brief, stimulus and that caution should be applied in using resting arterial diameter as a surrogate measure of conduit artery structure in vivo.

Exercise-induced brachial artery vasodilation: role of free radicals

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (3) ◽  
pp. H1516-H1522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell S. Richardson ◽  
Anthony J. Donato ◽  
Abhimanyu Uberoi ◽  
D. Walter Wray ◽  
Lesley Lawrenson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Free Radicals ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Epr Spectroscopy ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Paramagnetic Resonance ◽  
Healthy State ◽  
Total Antioxidant ◽  
Exercise Induced

Originally thought of as simply damaging or toxic “accidents” of in vivo chemistry, free radicals are becoming increasingly recognized as redox signaling molecules implicit in cellular homeostasis. Indeed, at the vascular level, it is plausible that oxidative stress plays a regulatory role in normal vascular function. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, we sought to document the ability of an oral antioxidant cocktail (vitamins C, E, and α-lipoic acid) to reduce circulating free radicals, and we employed Doppler ultrasound to examine the consequence of an antioxidant-mediated reduction in oxidative stress on exercise-induced vasodilation. A total of 25 young (18–31 yr) healthy male subjects partook in these studies. EPR spectroscopy revealed a reduction in circulating free radicals following antioxidant administration at rest (∼98%) and as a consequence of exercise (∼85%). Plasma total antioxidant capacity and vitamin C both increased following the ingestion of the antioxidant cocktail, whereas vitamin E levels were not influenced by the ingestion of the antioxidants. Brachial artery vasodilation during submaximal forearm handgrip exercise was greater with the placebo (7.4 ± 1.8%) than with the antioxidant cocktail (2.3 ± 0.7%). These data document the efficacy of an oral antioxidant cocktail in reducing free radicals and suggest that, in a healthy state, the aggressive disruption of the delicate balance between pro- and antioxidant forces can negatively impact vascular function. These findings implicate an exercise-induced reliance upon pro-oxidant-stimulated vasodilation, thereby revealing an important and positive vascular role for free radicals.

scholarly journals Noninvasive Assessment of Endothelium-Dependent Flow-Mediated Dilation of the Brachial Artery

1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akimi Uehata ◽  
Eric H Lieberman ◽  
Marie D Gerhard ◽  
Todd J Anderson ◽  
Peter Ganz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Endothelial Function ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Reactive Hyperemia ◽  
Intraobserver Variability ◽  
Flow Mediated Dilation ◽  
Noninvasive Technique ◽  
Brachial Artery Diameter ◽  
Cuff Occlusion

Coronary atherosclerosis is characterized by an early loss of endothelium-dependent vasodilation. However, the methods of assessing coronary endothelial function are invasive and difficult to repeat over time. Recently, a noninvasive ultrasound method has been widely used to measure flow-mediated dilation in the brachial artery as a surrogate test for endothelial function. We seek to further validate this method of measuring vascular function. The brachial artery diameters and blood flow of 20 normal volunteers (10 males and 10 females) were measured using high resolution (7.5 MHz) ultrasound and strain gauge plethysmography. Flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation was measured in the brachial artery during reactive hyperemia after 5 minutes of cuff occlusion in the upper arm. The brachial artery diameter increased maximally by 9.7 ± 4.3% from baseline at 1 min after cuff release and blood flow increased by 1002 ± 376%. Five min of cuff occlusion was sufficient to achieve 97 ± 6% of maximal brachial artery dilation and degree of dilation was not different whether the cuff was inflated proximally or distally to the image site. The intraobserver variability in measuring brachial diameters was 2.9 % and the variability of the hyperemic response was 1.4%. In young, healthy men and women, the baseline brachial artery diameter was the only factor that was predictive of the flow-mediated vasodilation response. The brachial noninvasive technique has been further validated by the determination of flow-mediated dilation. This method of assessing endothelial function may help to determine the importance of vasodilator dysfunction as a risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis.

scholarly journals Exercise-induced brachial artery vasodilation: effects of antioxidants and exercise training in elderly men

2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (2) ◽  
pp. H671-H678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Donato ◽  
Abhimanyu Uberoi ◽  
Damian M. Bailey ◽  
D. Walter Wray ◽  
Russell S. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Exercise Training ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Young Group ◽  
Handgrip Exercise ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Young Subjects ◽  
Exercise Induced

Aging, vascular function, and exercise are thought to have a common link in oxidative stress. Of the 28 subjects studied (young, 26 ± 2 yr; old, 71 ± 6 yr), 12 took part in a study to validate an antioxidant cocktail (AOC: vitamins C, E, and α-lipoic acid), while the remaining 8 young and 8 old subjects performed submaximal forearm handgrip exercise with placebo or AOC. Old subjects repeated forearm exercise with placebo or AOC following knee-extensor (KE) exercise training. Brachial arterial diameter and blood velocity (Doppler ultrasound) were measured at rest and during exercise. During handgrip exercise, brachial artery vasodilation in the old subjects was attenuated compared with that in young subjects following placebo (maximum = ∼3.0 and ∼6.0%, respectively). In contrast to the previously documented attenuation in exercise-induced brachial artery vasodilation in the young group with AOC, in the old subjects the AOC restored vasodilation (maximum = ∼7.0%) to match the young. KE training also improved exercise-induced brachial artery vasodilation. However, in the trained state, AOC administration no longer augmented brachial artery vasodilation in the elderly, but rather attenuated it. These data reveal an age-related pro-/antioxidant imbalance that impacts vascular function and show that exercise training is capable of restoring equilibrium such that vascular function is improved and the AOC-mediated reduction in free radicals now negatively impacts brachial artery vasodilation, as seen in the young.

scholarly journals Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation Exposure on Brachial Artery Blood Flow during Dynamic Handgrip Exercise

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaylin Didier ◽  
Landon Reiter ◽  
Austin Ederer ◽  
Jacob Caldwell ◽  
Carl Ade
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Radiation Exposure ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Artery Blood Flow ◽  
Handgrip Exercise

Effect of head-out water immersion on vascular function in healthy subjects

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Ayme ◽  
Olivier Gavarry ◽  
Pascal Rossi ◽  
Anne-Virginie Desruelle ◽  
Jacques Regnard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Natriuretic Peptides ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Water Immersion ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Peripheral Blood Flow ◽  
Cell Reactivity ◽  
Brachial Artery Diameter

Immersion in thermoneutral water increases cardiac output and peripheral blood flow and reduces systemic vascular resistance. This study examined the effects of head-out water immersion on vascular function. Twelve healthy middle-aged males were immersed during 60 min in the seated position, with water at the level of xiphoid. Local and central vascular tone regulating systems were studied during that time. Brachial artery diameter and blood flow were recorded using ultrasonography and Doppler. Endothelial function was assessed with flow-mediated dilation. Results were compared with the same investigations performed under reference conditions in ambient air. During water immersion, brachial artery diameter increased (3.7 ± 0.2 mm in ambient air vs. 4 ± 0.2 mm in water immersion; p < 0.05). Endothelium-mediated dilation was significantly lower in water immersion than in ambient air (10% vs. 15%; p = 0.01). Nevertheless, the difference disappeared when the percentage vasodilatation of the brachial artery was normalized to the shear stimulus. Smooth muscle-mediated dilation was similar in the 2 conditions. Spectral analysis of systolic blood pressure variability indicated a decrease in sympathetic vascular activity. Plasma levels of nitric oxide metabolites remained unchanged, whereas levels of natriuretic peptides were significantly elevated. An increase in brachial blood flow, a decrease in sympathetic activity, a warming of the skin, and an increase in natriuretic peptides might be involved in the increase in reference diameter observed during water immersion. Endothelial cell reactivity and smooth muscle function did not appear to be altered.

scholarly journals Tetrahydrobiopterin Administration Augments Exercise-Induced Hyperemia and Endothelial Function in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Machin ◽  
Heather L. Clifton ◽  
D. Walter Wray ◽  
Tracy M. Frech ◽  
Anthony J. Donato
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Systemic Sclerosis ◽  
Shear Rate ◽  
Endothelial Function ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Muscle Blood Flow ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Acute Administration ◽  
Handgrip Exercise ◽  
Double Blind

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare, auto-immune disease with variably progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, as well as vascular dysfunction. Recently, we demonstrated a decrement in exercising skeletal muscle blood flow and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in SSc, but the mechanisms responsible for these impairments have not been investigated. Thus, we sought to determine if acute administration of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), an essential cofactor for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), would improve hyperemia and brachial artery vasodilation during progressive handgrip exercise in SSc. Thirteen patients with SSc (63 ± 11 years) participated in this placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover study. Tetrahydrobiopterin (10 mg/kg) administration resulted in a ~4-fold increase in circulating BH4 concentrations (P &lt; 0.05). Cardiovascular variables at rest were unaffected by BH4 (P &gt; 0.05). During handgrip exercise, BH4 administration increased brachial artery blood flow (placebo: 200 ± 87; BH4: 261 ± 115 ml/min; P &lt; 0.05) and vascular conductance (placebo: 2.0 ± 0.8; BH4: 2.5 ± 1.0 ml/min/mmHg; P &lt; 0.05), indicating augmented resistance artery vasodilation. Tetrahydrobiopterin administration also increased brachial artery vasodilation in response to exercise (placebo: 12 ± 6; BH4: 17 ± 7%; P &lt; 0.05), resulting in a significant upward shift in the slope relationship between Δ brachial artery vasodilation and Δ shear rate (placebo: 0.030 ± 0.007; BH4: 0.047 ± 0.007; P &lt; 0.05) that indicates augmented sensitivity of the brachial artery to vasodilate to the sustained elevations in shear rate during handgrip exercise. These results demonstrate the efficacy of acute BH4 administration to improve both resistance and conduit vessel endothelial function in SSc, suggesting that eNOS recoupling may be an effective strategy for improving vasodilatory capacity in this patient group.

scholarly journals Opposing effects of shear-mediated dilation and myogenic constriction on artery diameter in response to handgrip exercise in humans

2015 ◽  
Vol 119 (8) ◽  
pp. 858-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ceri L. Atkinson ◽  
Howard H. Carter ◽  
Louise H. Naylor ◽  
Ellen A. Dawson ◽  
Petra Marusic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Shear Stress ◽  
Shear Rate ◽  
Arterial Pressure ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity ◽  
Handgrip Exercise ◽  
Brachial Artery Diameter ◽  
The Impact

While the impact of changes in blood flow and shear stress on artery function are well documented, the acute effects of increases in arterial pressure are less well described in humans. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of 30 min of elevated blood pressure, in the absence of changes in shear stress or sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation, on conduit artery diameter. Ten healthy male subjects undertook three sessions of 30 min unilateral handgrip exercise at 5, 10, and 15% of maximal voluntary contractile (MVC) strength. Brachial artery shear rate and blood flow profiles were measured simultaneously during exercise in the active and contralateral resting arms. Bilateral brachial artery diameter was simultaneously assessed before and immediately postexercise. In a second experiment, six subjects repeated the 15% MVC condition while continuous vascular measurements were collected during muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) assessment using peroneal microneurography. We found that unilateral handgrip exercise at 5, 10, and 15% MVC strength induced stepwise elevations in blood pressure ( P < 0.01, Δmean arterial pressure: 7.06 ± 2.44, 8.50 ± 2.80, and 18.35 ± 3.52 mmHg, P < 0.01). Whereas stepwise increases were evident in shear rate in the exercising arm ( P < 0.001), no changes were apparent in the nonexercising limb ( P = 0.42). Brachial artery diameter increased in the exercising arm ( P = 0.02), but significantly decreased in the nonexercising arm ( P = 0.03). At 15% MVC, changes in diameter were significantly different between arms (interaction effect: P = 0.01), whereas this level of exertion produced no significant changes in MSNA. We conclude that acute increases in transmural pressure, independent of shear rate and changes in SNS activation, reduce arterial caliber in normotensive humans in vivo. These changes in diameter were mitigated by exercise-induced elevations in shear rate in the active limb.

scholarly journals A differing role of oxidative stress in the regulation of central and peripheral hemodynamics during exercise in heart failure

2012 ◽  
Vol 303 (10) ◽  
pp. H1237-H1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa A. H. Witman ◽  
John McDaniel ◽  
Anette S. Fjeldstad ◽  
Stephen J. Ives ◽  
Jia Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Mean Arterial Pressure ◽  
Cardiac Index ◽  
Arterial Pressure ◽  
Brachial Artery ◽  
Artery Blood Flow ◽  
Peripheral Hemodynamics

This study sought to characterize the role of free radicals in regulating central and peripheral hemodynamics at rest and during exercise in patients with heart failure (HF). We examined cardiovascular responses to dynamic handgrip exercise (4, 8, and 12 kg at 1 Hz) following consumption of either a placebo or acute oral antioxidant cocktail (AOC) consisting of vitamin C, E, and α-lipoic acid in a balanced, crossover design. Central and peripheral hemodynamics, mean arterial pressure, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance (SVR), brachial artery blood flow, and peripheral (arm) vascular resistance (PVR) were determined in 10 HF patients and 10 age-matched controls. Blood assays evaluated markers of oxidative stress and efficacy of the AOC. When compared with controls, patients with HF exhibited greater oxidative stress, measured by malondialdehyde (+36%), and evidence of endogenous antioxidant compensation, measured by greater superoxide dismutase activity (+83%). The AOC increased plasma ascorbate (+50%) in both the HF patients and controls, but significant systemic hemodynamic effects were only evident in the patients with HF, both at rest and throughout exercise. Specifically, the AOC reduced mean arterial pressure (−5%) and SVR (−12%) and increased cardiac index (+7%) at each workload. In contrast, peripherally, brachial artery blood flow and PVR (arm) were unchanged by the AOC. In conclusion, these data imply that SVR in patients with HF is, at least in part, mediated by oxidative stress. However, this finding does not appear to be the direct result of muscle-specific changes in PVR.

scholarly journals Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Role of Oxidative Stress and Blood Vessels

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1296
Author(s):  
Yue Ruan ◽  
Subao Jiang ◽  
Adrian Gericke
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Vascular Dysfunction ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Age Related

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common irreversible ocular disease characterized by vision impairment among older people. Many risk factors are related to AMD and interact with each other in its pathogenesis. Notably, oxidative stress and choroidal vascular dysfunction were suggested to be critically involved in AMD pathogenesis. In this review, we give an overview on the factors contributing to the pathophysiology of this multifactorial disease and discuss the role of reactive oxygen species and vascular function in more detail. Moreover, we give an overview on therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from AMD.

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