Measurement of the cutaneous circulation

1965 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 696-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry M. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Skin Temperature ◽  
Circulatory Arrest ◽  
Thermal Conductance ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
Indirect Methods ◽  
Blood Content ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Cutaneous Circulation

Relationships between four commonly used indirect methods for study of the cutaneous circulation in intact, unanesthetized man were examined. Skin temperature, thermal conductance, volume plethysmography and the light absorption of the skin (as related to hemoglobin content) were simultaneously recorded on the upper extremities of normal young men as blood flow and blood content of the skin were changed by circulatory arrest, venous occlusion, indirect heating and cooling, and changes in position. Skin temperature and thermal conductance changed along parallel courses as blood flow was changed, while finger volume and reflectance of the skin to light of wavelength 550 mμ both changed in expected directions although along different courses, following passive congestion and de-congestion and changes in level of the hand relative to the heart. The advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of each of the methods in the study of cutaneous circulation in man are discussed and compared. measurement of circulation of skin; methods for measurement of cutaneous circulation; blood flow through skin; blood content of skin; skin Submitted on March 12, 1964

Doppler Characterization of the Immediate Blood Flow Velocity Pattern after Release of Prolonged Venous Occlusion of the Forearm

1989 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. W. West ◽  
M. S. Salih ◽  
W. A. Littler
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Velocity Pattern ◽  
Flow Response ◽  
Resistance Vessels ◽  
Capacitance Vessels ◽  
Doppler Techniques ◽  
Flow Through

1. There is a biphasic flow response measured plethysmographically after release of prolonged venous occlusion of the forearm. 2. The response consists of an early, vasodilatory, increase in flow and is followed by a decrease in flow relative to control, thought to be mediated by myogenic contraction of resistance vessels. 3. Methodological constraints with the technique of forearm plethysmography have to date precluded an individual beat-by-beat examination of this response, in particular for resolving the question of the immediate flow pattern after release of venous occlusion. It has been suggested by Caro, Foley & Sudlow [Journal of Physiology (London) (1970), 207, 257–269] that there is a delay of up to five systolic beats before vasodilatation takes place, leading to their suggestion that the vasodilatation is passive and secondary to an increased flow through emptied capacitance vessels. 4. The introduction of peripheral Doppler techniques has led us to re-examine this response in an attempt to define short-term resistance vessel behaviour on a beat-by-beat basis. 5. Our data confirmed the hypothesis of Caro, Foley & Sudlow [Journal of Physiology (London) (1970), 207, 257–269] that there is a constant and definite latency preceding the onset of vasodilatory flow, as reflected by changes in Doppler velocities.

Adrenergic control of the human cutaneous circulation

2009 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 829-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary J. Hodges ◽  
John M. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Local Heating ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Local Cooling ◽  
Vascular Responses ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Sympathetic Function ◽  
Adrenergic Control ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous ◽  
Cutaneous Circulation

The cutaneous circulation is influenced by a variety of thermoregulatory (skin and internal temperature-driven) and nonthermoregulatory (e.g., baroreflex, exercise-associated reflexes) challenges. The responses to these stimuli are brought about through vasoconstrictor nerves, vasodilator nerves, and changes in the local temperature of the vessels themselves. In this review, we examine how thermoregulatory influences mediate changes in skin blood flow through the sympathetic nervous system. We discuss cutaneous vascular responses to both local and whole-body heating and cooling and the mechanisms underlying these responses, with the overarching conclusion that sympathetic function plays significant roles in reflex vasoconstriction and vasodilatation and in the responses to both local cooling and local heating of the skin.

Body temperature control of rat tail blood flow

1983 ◽  
Vol 245 (3) ◽  
pp. R426-R432 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Raman ◽  
M. F. Roberts ◽  
V. J. Vanhuyse
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Heat Exchange ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Heat Flow ◽  
Thermal Conductance ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Blood Flows ◽  
Rat Tail ◽  
Tail Blood

Tail blood flow (BF) and heat flow (HF) were measured in five albino rats during transients in rectal temperature (Tre) caused by body heating at rest. During heating, tail temperature (Tt) was kept at 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, or 42 degrees C by enclosing the tail in a water-perfused tube. Thermal conductance (K) was computed as HF/(Tre-Tt). BF was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. Heating caused a rise in Tre that was accompanied by proportional increases in both K and BF. The ratio R = K/BF represents conductance per unit BF and reflects the amount of heat exchange for a given BF. R can thus be used to estimate the distribution of BF within the tail. R was independent of Tre at all Tt, indicating that BF distribution is controlled by the tail. R was low at low Tt and rose at higher Tt. This suggests that at low Tt, blood flows primarily in central veins of the tail and at higher Tt blood flows in peripheral tail veins.

Effect of rhythmically inflating a pneumatic cuff at the ankle on blood flow in the foot

1959 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Andrew Loane
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Heat Flow ◽  
Perfusion Pressure ◽  
Venous Pressure ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
Quantitative Agreement ◽  
Venous Occlusion Plethysmography ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
And Calorimetry

Rhythmic inflation to 110 mm Hg of a pneumatic cuff around the ankle of a seated subject reduces the venous pressure in the foot and is found by three methods, venous occlusion plethysmography, heat flow and calorimetry, to increase the rate of blood flow through the foot. The increases measured by the three methods are not, however, in quantitative agreement and it is not possible to decide how large the increase may be. It is considered, however, that the increase in flow is probably of the same order as the increase in perfusion pressure and not greatly in excess of this increase. Submitted on August 5, 1958

Measurement by Venous Occlusion Plethysmography of Blood Flow through Surgically Created Arteriovenous Fistulae in the Human Forearm

1976 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-49
Author(s):  
W. F. M. Wallace ◽  
J. P. Jamison
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Arterial Occlusion ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Similar Amount ◽  
Absolute Value ◽  
Human Forearm ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Two Sides

1. Plethysmographs containing the hand plus forearm were used to measure blood flow in patients with a surgically created arteriovenous fistula in one forearm. 2. Apparent flow rate was stable over a limited range of collecting pressures; the absolute value of these pressures varied from patient to patient. 3. After arterial occlusion, blood flow increased by a similar amount on the normal side and on the side with the fistula. 4. Occlusion of fistular flow produced no significant change in heart rate. 5. Fistular flow, estimated as the difference between flow on the two sides, averaged 525 ml/min in seventeen patients.

Head-down-tilt bed rest alters forearm vasodilator and vasoconstrictor responses

1998 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 1756-1762 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kevin Shoemaker ◽  
Cindy S. Hogeman ◽  
David H. Silber ◽  
Kristen Gray ◽  
Michael Herr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Vascular Reactivity ◽  
Forearm Blood Flow ◽  
Circulatory Arrest ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Bed Rest ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
Pressor Test ◽  
Sympathetic Discharge

To test the hypothesis that head-down-tilt bed rest (HDBR) for 14 days alters vascular reactivity to vasodilatory and vasoconstrictor stimuli, the reactive hyperemic forearm blood flow (RHBF, measured by venous occlusion plethysmography) and mean arterial pressure (MAP, measured by Finapres) responses after 10 min of circulatory arrest were measured in a control trial ( n = 20) and when sympathetic discharge was increased by a cold pressor test (RHBF + cold pressor test; n = 10). Vascular conductance (VC) was calculated (VC = RHBF/MAP). In the control trial, peak RHBF at 5 s after circulatory arrest (34.1 ± 2.5 vs. 48.9 ± 4.3 ml ⋅ 100 ml−1 ⋅ min−1) and VC (0.34 ± 0.02 vs. 0.53 ± 0.05 ml ⋅ 100 ml−1 ⋅ min−1 ⋅ mmHg−1) were reduced in the post- compared with the pre-HDBR tests ( P < 0.05). Total excess RHBF over 3 min was diminished in the post- compared with the pre-HDBR trial (84.8 vs. 117 ml/100 ml, P < 0.002). The ability of the cold pressor test to lower forearm blood flow was less in the post- than in the pre-HDBR test ( P < 0.05), despite similar increases in MAP. These data suggest that regulation of vascular dilation and the interaction between dilatory and constrictor influences were altered with bed rest.

Nonthermoregulatory control of human skin blood flow

1986 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 1613-1622 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Skin Temperature ◽  
Skin Blood Flow ◽  
Internal Temperature ◽  
Cutaneous Vasodilation ◽  
Baroreceptor Reflexes ◽  
Temperature Slope ◽  
Cutaneous Circulation ◽  
Fundamental Pattern

Although it is well accepted that skin blood flow (SkBF) in humans is controlled by thermoregulatory reflexes, the conclusion that the cutaneous circulation is also controlled by reflexes of nonthermoregulatory origin is not universally held. This review considers the extent to which the cutaneous circulation participates in baroreceptor-mediated reflexes and in the reflexes associated with exercise. Exercise is explored in some detail, because it elicits both thermoregulatory and nonthermoregulatory reflexes. The overall conclusion reached is that thermoregulatory control of SkBF is subject to modification by or competition from several other sources. The fundamental pattern for control of SkBF is described by the threshold and slope of the SkBF-internal temperature relationship. Reflex effects of skin temperature act to shift the threshold of this relationship such that lower levels of skin temperature are associated with higher threshold internal temperatures at which cutaneous vasodilation begins. Similarly, baroreceptor reflexes, reflexes associated with exercise, and effects of some cardiovascular disease also operate against this background. Although modification of the SkBF-internal temperature slope is occasionally seen, the most consistent effect of these nonthermoregulatory factors is to elevate the threshold internal temperature for cutaneous vasodilation. The consequence of this modification of thermoregulatory control of SkBF is that temperature regulation will often suffer when increases in SkBF are delayed or limited. Blood flow to other regions, possibly including active skeletal muscle, may also be compromised when thermoregulatory demands for SkBF are high.

The Effect of Local Temperature on the Response of An Extremity to Indirect Heating in Man

1984 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Allen ◽  
R. J. Finlay ◽  
I. C. Roddie
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Heat Load ◽  
Environmental Temperature ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
The Other ◽  
Local Cooling ◽  
Distal Half ◽  
Measure Blood Flow ◽  
Flow Through

1. Venous occlusion plethysmography was used to measure blood flow through the extremities of five normal subjects before and during exposure to a standard heat load with one extremity maintained at a cold (15°C) and the other at a neutral (35°C) temperature. 2. In the foot, local cold (15°C) delayed the onset and reduced by about 92% the vasodilatation during release of sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone caused by body heating. 3. Similar results were obtained in the hand exposed to cold (15°C) but the suppression of the reflex vasodilatation in response to body heating was about 66%. 4. This difference between the hand and foot did not appear to be related to the greater length of the foot since the distal half of the foot reacted like the total foot: local cooling suppressed the reflex vasodilatation by 88%. 5. The results suggest that sympathetic release tests should not be carried out in a laboratory with an environmental temperature as low as 15°C, especially when the circulation to the foot is under investigation.

Exercise thermoregulation after prolonged wakefulness

1988 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 1575-1579 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Kolka ◽  
L. A. Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Skin Temperature ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
Sleep Loss ◽  
Cycle Ergometer ◽  
Temperature Threshold ◽  
Women Subjects ◽  
Reflex Cutaneous Vasodilation ◽  
Cutaneous Blood ◽  
Exercise Thermoregulation

The effect of 33 h of wakefulness on the control of forearm cutaneous blood flow and forearm sweating during exercise was studied in three men and three women. Subjects exercised for 30 min at 60% peak O2 consumption while seated behind a cycle ergometer (Ta = 35 degrees C, Pw = 1.0 kPa). We measured esophageal temperature (Tes), mean skin temperature, and arm sweating continuously and forearm blood flow (FBF) as an index of skin blood flow, twice each minute by venous occlusion plethysmography. During steady-state exercise, Tes was unchanged by sleep loss. The sensitivity of FBF to Tes was depressed an average of 30% (P less than 0.05) after 33 h of wakefulness with a slight decrease (-0.15 degrees C, P less than 0.05) in the core temperature threshold for vasodilatory onset. Sleep loss did not alter the Tes at which the onset of sweating occurred; however, sensitivity of arm sweating to Tes tended to be lower but was not significant. Arm skin temperature was not different between control and sleep loss experiments. Reflex cutaneous vasodilation during exercise appeared to be reduced by both central and local factors after 33 h of wakefulness

Control of skin blood flow during exercise by thermal reflexes and baroreflexes

1980 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 717-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. Roberts ◽  
C. B. Wenger
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Stroke Volume ◽  
Skin Temperature ◽  
Forearm Blood Flow ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Venous Occlusion ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Cycle Ergometers ◽  
Cardiac Filling ◽  
Male Subjects

Four male subjects exercised on cycle ergometers at 40-51% of maximal aerobic power in the upright and supine positions at air temperatures of 15, 25, and 40 degrees C. Esophageal temperature (Tes) was measured at heart level, and mean skin temperature was computed from a weighted average of eight skin temperature measurements. Forearm blood flow (ABF) was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography, and cardiac output was measured by a CO2 rebreathing technique. At air temperatures of 15 and 25 degrees C, cardiac stroke volume was slightly lower during upright exercise than it was during supine exercise, as was ABF at a given Tes. At 40 degrees C, however, stroke volume was much lower and ABF at a given Tes was considerably lower during upright as opposed to supine exercise. The reduced stroke volume during upright exercise in the heat shows that gravity compounds the effect of cutaneous venodilation by allowing blood to pool in dependent limbs and thus impairing cardiac filling. The proportionality between reduced stroke volume and reduced forearm blood flow suggests that the reduction in blood flow may be mediated by cardiopulmonary baroreflexes that are activated by reduced cardiac filling pressure.

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