scholarly journals Continuous release of vasodilator prostanoids contributes to regulation of resting forearm blood flow in humans

1998 ◽  
Vol 274 (4) ◽  
pp. H1174-H1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Duffy ◽  
Binh T. Tran ◽  
Gishel New ◽  
Ronald N. Tudball ◽  
Murray D. Esler ◽  
...  

Continuous release of nitric oxide contributes to the maintenance of resting tone in the human forearm and coronary circulations; however, evidence for a similar role of vasodilator prostanoids such as prostacyclin is lacking. We examined whether continuous release of prostacyclin contributes to basal forearm blood flow. Flow was measured using venous occlusion plethysmography in 38 healthy volunteers [mean age 21.3 ± 2.5 yr (±SD); 13 female, 25 male] at rest, after administration of three incremental intra-arterial infusions of either the cyclooxygenase inhibitor aspirin or placebo, and before and after administration of the endothelium-dependent and -independent dilators acetylcholine (30 μg/min) and nitroprusside (1 μg/min). To assess the effect of aspirin on the production of prostacyclin, plasma 6-keto prostaglandin F1α(6-keto-PGF1α; the stable metabolite of prostacyclin) was measured by simultaneous arterial and venous sampling. Aspirin produced a time- and dose-dependent reduction in forearm blood flow, resulting in a 32% decrease at the highest dose. The effect was maximal after 10 min. Flow at rest and after aspirin doses of 1, 3, and 10 mg/min was 2.6 ± 0.2, 2.3 ± 0.2, 2.1 ± 0.2, and 1.8 ± 0.2 ml ⋅ 100 ml forearm tissue−1 ⋅ min−1, respectively (means ± SE, P< 0.001). Commensurate with these data, the net forearm production of 6-keto-PGF1α was 52.9 ± 16.4, 11.7 ± 8.6, 18.7 ± 8.5, and 12.0 ± 12.5 pg ⋅ 100 ml forearm tissue−1 ⋅ min−1 for the respective doses ( P = 0.04). No time-dependent reduction in flow was seen in subjects with vehicle infusion. Aspirin did not affect the responses to acetylcholine or nitroprusside. These data suggest that continuous release of prostacyclin plays a role in the maintenance of resting forearm blood flow. There appears to be a direct link between the reduction in flow with aspirin and inhibition of prostacyclin production.

1997 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masanari Shiramoto ◽  
Tsutomu Imaizumi ◽  
Yoshitaka Hirooka ◽  
Toyonari Endo ◽  
Takashi Namba ◽  
...  

1. It has been shown in animals that substance P as well as acetylcholine releases endothelium-derived nitric oxide and evokes vasodilatation and that ATP-induced vasodilatation is partially mediated by nitric oxide. The aim of this study was to examine whether vasodilator effects of substance P and ATP are mediated by nitric oxide in humans. 2. In healthy volunteers (n = 35), we measured forearm blood flow by a strain-gauge plethysmograph while infusing graded doses of acetylcholine, substance P, ATP or sodium nitroprusside into the brachial artery before and after infusion of NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (4 or 8 μmol/min for 5 min). In addition, we measured forearm blood flow while infusing substance P before and during infusion of l-arginine (10 mg/min, simultaneously), or before and 1 h after oral administration of indomethacin (75 mg). 3. Acetylcholine, substance P, ATP or sodium nitroprusside increased forearm blood flow in a dose-dependent manner. NG-Monomethyl-l-arginine decreased basal forearm blood flow and inhibited acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation but did not affect substance P-, ATP-, or sodium nitroprusside-induced vasodilatation. Neither supplementation of l-arginine nor pretreatment with indomethacin affected substance P-induced vasodilatation. 4. Our results suggest that, in the human forearm vessels, substance P-induced vasodilatation may not be mediated by either nitric oxide or prostaglandins and that ATP-induced vasodilatation may also not be mediated by nitric oxide.


2003 ◽  
Vol 284 (2) ◽  
pp. H711-H718 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Omar Farouque ◽  
Ian T. Meredith

The extent to which ATP-sensitive K+ channels contribute to reactive hyperemia in humans is unresolved. We examined the role of ATP-sensitive K+channels in regulating reactive hyperemia induced by 5 min of forearm ischemia. Thirty-one healthy subjects had forearm blood flow measured with venous occlusion plethysmography. Reactive hyperemia could be reproducibly induced ( n = 9). The contribution of vascular ATP-sensitive K+ channels to reactive hyperemia was determined by measuring forearm blood flow before and during brachial artery infusion of glibenclamide, an ATP-sensitive K+ channel inhibitor ( n = 12). To document ATP-sensitive K+ channel inhibition with glibenclamide, coinfusion with diazoxide, an ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener, was undertaken ( n = 10). Glibenclamide did not significantly alter resting forearm blood flow or the initial and sustained phases of reactive hyperemia. However, glibenclamide attenuated the hyperemic response induced by diazoxide. These data suggest that ATP-sensitive K+ channels do not play an important role in controlling forearm reactive hyperemia and that other mechanisms are active in this adaptive response.


2002 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 595-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nivedita SINGH ◽  
Sanjay PRASAD ◽  
Donald R.J. SINGER ◽  
Raymond J. Mac ALLISTER

Ageing is associated with endothelial dysfunction and increased cardiovascular risk. We assessed the activity of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin pathways in older subjects. Bilateral venous occlusion plethysmography was used to measure forearm blood flow during intra-arterial infusion of the NO synthase inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA; 1, 2 and 4μmol/min), the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, aspirin (3, 9 and 30μmol/min), and the smooth muscle constrictor, noradrenaline (60, 120 and 240pmol/min); each dose infused for 5min. Eighteen young and 15 healthy older subjects (mean age±S.E.M., 32±1 and 65±1 years respectively) were studied. Effects of treatment were calculated from the ratio of blood flow in the infused to control arm, expressed as a percentage. Dose-response curves were compared by analysis of the area under the curve (AUC) using independent samples t test. All agents caused dose-dependent decreases in basal forearm blood flow. AUC values for noradrenaline, aspirin and l-NMMA in younger and older subjects were 162±24, 173±24 and 170±17, and 138±22, 70±22 and 89±22 respectively. Effects of aspirin and l-NMMA, but not noradrenaline, were reduced in older subjects (P = 0.004, 0.007 and 0.461 respectively). Our findings suggest a generalized abnormality of basal endothelial function in older people, with similar impairment of NO and prostanoid dilator pathways. Defects in both pathways could contribute to the development of age-related cardiovascular disease.


1972 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars O. Boréus ◽  
Norman K. Hollenberg

There has been disagreement about the role of the peripheral venous system in cardiovascular adjustments to postural stress in man. In part this seems to be due to the technical difficulty in determining venous distensibility by plethysmographic techniques in situations where concomitant changes in blood flow occur. We have demonstrated in this study that rapid and consistent increases in forearm venous tone assessed by venous occlusion plethysmography do occur on head-up tilt in man, and that they can be readily masked by the parallel marked decrease in forearm blood flow. It is concluded that the peripheral venous system in man is not designed to function only in states of severe stress but rather plays an important role in moment-to-moment adjustments of cardiovascular activity.


Author(s):  
Megan Waters ◽  
Branko Miljkovic ◽  
Jozelyn Rascon ◽  
Manuel Gomez ◽  
Alvaro N. Gurovich

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study where continuous therapeutic ultrasound (CUS; at 0.4 W/cm2), pulsed therapeutic ultrasound (PUS; at 20% duty cycle, 0.08 W/cm2), both at 1 MHz, and placebo (equipment on, no energy provided) were randomized and applied over the forearm of the non-dominant arm for 5 min in 10 young, healthy individuals. Absolute and peak forearm blood flow (FBF) were measured via Venous Occlusion Plethysmography. FBF was measured before, halfway, and after (immediately and 5 min after) the therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) intervention. Post-ischemic peak FBF was measured 10 min before and 10 min after the TUS intervention. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA (group × time) was selected to assess differences in FBF before, during, and after TUS treatment, and for peak FBF before and after TUS treatment. FBF increased 5 min after TUS in CUS compared to placebo (2.96 ± 1.04 vs. 2.09 ± 0.63 mL/min/100 mL of tissue, p < 0.05). PUS resulted in the greatest increase in Peak FBF at 10 min after US (Δ = 3.96 ± 2.02 mL/min/100 mL of tissue, p = 0.06). CUS at 1 MHz was an effective treatment modality for increasing FBF up to 5 min after intervention, but PUS resulted in the greatest increase in peak FBF at 10 min after intervention.


1993 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 2162-2167 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. G. Armstrong ◽  
W. L. Kenney

To examine the effect of chronological age on thermoregulation during passive heat exposure, six older (O, 61 +/- 1 yr) and six young (Y, 26 +/- 2 yr) men sat at rest during a 30-min baseline period (dry-bulb temperature = 28 degrees C), a 60-min thermal transient (28–46 degrees C by 2 degrees C steps every 5 min), and 30 min at 46 degrees C dry-bulb temperature. Subjects were matched for maximal O2 consumption, anthropometry, and body composition. Testing was repeated after a 9-day active heat acclimation protocol. There were no age differences in rectal (Tre), mean skin (Tsk), or mean body temperature (Tb = 0.8Tre + 0.2Tsk) before or after acclimation, but heart rate was lower (P < 0.01) in the O group in both acclimation states. Heat acclimation resulted in a significantly lower baseline Tre and Tb in both groups, which remained lower throughout the passive heat stress (P < 0.05). To examine the effects of age and acclimation on thermoregulatory effector function, forearm blood flow (by venous occlusion plethysmography) and chest sweating rate (SRch, by dew-point hygrometry) were plotted against Tb. The slope of the forearm blood flow-Tb relationship was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the O group before and after acclimation. A lower maximal SRch (P < 0.05) was achieved by the O group, but neither the slope of SRch-Tb relationship nor the Tb threshold for sweating was affected by age. Predictably, acclimation resulted in a lower Tb threshold for the onset of sweating and skin vasodilation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1996 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 1418-1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. N. Proctor ◽  
J. R. Halliwill ◽  
P. H. Shen ◽  
N. E. Vlahakis ◽  
M. J. Joyner

Estimates of calf blood flow with venous occlusion plethysmography vary widely between studies, perhaps due to the use of different plethysmographs. Consequently, we compared calf blood flow estimates at rest and during reactive hyperemia in eight healthy subjects (four men and four women) with two commonly used plethysmographs: the mercury-in-silastic (Whitney) strain gauge and Dohn air-filled cuff. To minimize technical variability, flow estimates were compared with a Whitney gauge and a Dohn cuff on opposite calves before and after 10 min of bilateral femoral arterial occlusion. To account for any differences between limbs, a second trial was conducted in which the plethysmographs were switched. Resting flows did not differ between the plethysmographs (P = 0.096), but a trend toward lower values with the Whitney was apparent. Peak flows averaged 37% lower with the Whitney (27.8 +/- 2.8 ml.dl-1.min-1) than with the Dohn plethysmograph (44.4 +/- 2.8 ml.dl-1.min-1; P < 0.05). Peak flow expressed as a multiple above baseline was also lower with the Whitney (10-fold) than with the Dohn plethysmograph (14.5-fold; P = 0.02). Across all flows at rest and during reactive hyperemia, estimates were highly correlated between the plethysmographs in all subjects (r2 = 0.96-0.99). However, the mean slope for the Whitney-Dohn relationship was only 60 +/- 2%, indicating that over a wide range of flows the Whitney gauge estimate was 40% lower than that for the Dohn cuff. These results demonstrate that the same qualitative results can be obtained with either plethysmograph but that absolute flow values will generally be lower with Whitney gauges.


1986 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 227-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. B. Wenger ◽  
L. A. Stephenson ◽  
M. A. Durkin

To determine the role of neurotransmitter in the response of forearm blood flow (ABF) to local (forearm) skin temperature (Tsk) we measured ABF of six subjects at Tsk from 25 to 40 degrees C before (control) and after brachial plexus block (BPB). Control experiments were conducted in an ambient temperature of 27–29 degrees C, adjusted to minimize the subject's overall thermal sensation. Tsk was regulated by blowing a controlled-temperature airstream through a plastic bag enclosing the arm. We first lowered Tsk to 25 degrees C and after 20 min began to measure ABF with Whitney strain gauges. We then raised Tsk by 2.5 degrees C steps to 40 degrees C and measured ABF every 30 s for at least 10 min at each level of Tsk. Mean ABF rose from 1.1 ml X 100 ml-1 X min-1 at Tsk of 25 degrees C to 2.1 ml X 100 ml-1 X min-1 at 32.5 degrees C to 13.7 ml X 100 ml-1 X min-1 at 40 degrees C in control experiments and from 2.8 to 4.4 to 14.8 ml X 100 ml-1 X min-1 after BPB. The effect of Tsk on ABF was highly significant (P less than 0.0001) but the effect of BPB was not (P approximately equal to 0.2). At thermoneutrality, the effect of Tsk on ABF is largely independent of neural activity, since this effect is unaffected by nerve block.


1994 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 1388-1393 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. De Blasi ◽  
M. Ferrari ◽  
A. Natali ◽  
G. Conti ◽  
A. Mega ◽  
...  

We applied near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for the simultaneous measurement of forearm blood flow (FBF) and oxygen consumption (VO2) in the human by inducing a 50-mmHg venous occlusion. Eleven healthy subjects were studied both at rest and after hand exercise during vascular occlusion. FBF was also measured by strain-gauge plethysmography. FBF measured by NIRS was 1.9 +/- 0.8 ml.100 ml-1.min-1 at rest and 8.2 +/- 2.9 ml.100 ml-1.min-1 after hand exercise. These values showed a correlation (r = 0.94) with those obtained by the plethysmography. VO2 values were 4.6 +/- 1.3 microM O2 x 100 ml-1.min-1 at rest and 24.9 +/- 11.2 microM O2 x 100 ml-1.min-1 after hand exercise. The scatter of the FBF and VO2 values showed a good correlation between the two variables (r = 0.93). The results demonstrate that NIRS provides the particular advantage of obtaining the contemporary evaluation of blood flow and VO2, allowing correlation of these two variables by a single maneuver without discomfort for the subject.


2010 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. CMED.S4650 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Farahnak ◽  
L. Lind ◽  
K. Mattala ◽  
I-L. Nilsson

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) seems to affect the risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate PTH's acute effect on endothelial vasodilatory function in forearm resistance vessels. Ten healthy subjects underwent forearm venous occlusion plethysmography. We measured forearm blood flow at baseline and at a stable, locally increased PTH level after intra-arterial infusion of metacholine and nitroprusside. The contralateral arm served as a control. Ionized calcium (Ca++) and PTH values were normal in all subjects at baseline (1.26 ± 0.02 mM/L, 3.6 ± 1.2 pM/L). After 30 minutes of PTH infusion, the PTH level increased in the active arm (13.8 ± 4.0 pM/L P < 0.01), while the Ca++ level was unchanged (1.25 ± 0.04; mM/L). Both the PTH and the Ca++ level in the contralateral arm remained unchanged, which indicates no systemic influence. The endothelial-dependent vasodilation was inversely correlated to the Ca++ level at baseline (r = −0.75, P < 0.05) and after PTH infusion (r = −0.68, P < 0.05). The vasodilatory function was not affected during PTH-infusion.


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