Contribution of potassium to exercise-induced vasodilation in humans

1994 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 2552-2557 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Wilson ◽  
S. C. Kapoor ◽  
G. G. Krishna

It has been postulated that skeletal muscle release of potassium contributes to exercise-induced vasodilation of skeletal muscle arterioles. To determine whether potassium produces muscle arteriolar vasodilation in humans, we measured plethysmographic forearm blood flow and brachial venous potassium concentrations during brachial arterial infusion of potassium (0.6, 3, 6, 15, and 30 mueq.min-1.100 ml forearm volume-1) in nine normal subjects. Infusion of potassium decreased forearm vascular resistance, with an increase in brachial venous potassium of 1 meq/l decreasing forearm vascular tone by 25–30%. We then measured plasma potassium concentrations during forearm and upright bicycle exercise in 15 normal subjects. Forearm exercise at 0.6 W decreased forearm vascular resistance by 83%, whereas brachial venous potassium increased by only 0.5 +/- 0.2 meq/l (both P < 0.05). Maximal bicycle exercise increased systemic potassium concentrations by 1.2 +/- 0.2 meq/l. These findings indicate that potassium produces muscle arteriolar vasodilation in humans and therefore supports the hypothesis that potassium release from exercising muscle contributes to exercise-induced vasodilation. The relatively small change in venous potassium noted during forearm exercise despite marked forearm vasodilation suggests that local potassium release is only a small contributor to exercise-induced vasodilation. However, potassium release during maximal exercise may have significant vasodilatory effects on arterioles both in exercising and nonexercising tissues.

1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (1) ◽  
pp. H171-H175 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Wilson ◽  
S. C. Kapoor

It has been postulated that endothelial release of prostaglandins contributes to exercise-induced vasodilation of skeletal muscle arterioles. To test this hypothesis, 12 normal subjects underwent brachial arterial and venous catheter insertion and instrumentation of their forearm to measure plethysmographic forearm blood flow. Forearm blood flow and arterial and venous 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha (PGF1 alpha) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were then measured during two levels of wrist flexion exercise (0.2 and 0.4 W). In nine of the subjects, exercise was repeated after intra-arterial infusion of indomethacin (0.3 mg/100 ml forearm vol). Exercise increased forearm blood flow (2.0 +/- 0.2 to 12.1 +/- 1.1 ml.min-1.100 ml-1) and forearm release of PGF1 alpha (162 +/- 28 to 766 +/- 193 pg.min-1.100 ml-1) and PGE2 (26 +/- 6 to 125 +/- 46 pg.min-1.100 ml-1) (all P < 0.05). Indomethacin virtually abolished forearm prostaglandin release and reduced forearm blood flow at rest (2.2 +/- 0.2 to 1.7 +/- 0.2 ml.min-1.100 ml-1), at 0.2 W (6.3 +/- 0.7 to 5.4 +/- 0.7 ml.min-1.100 ml-1), and at 0.4 W (12.2 +/- 1.5 to 10.3 +/- 1.3 ml.min-1.100 ml-1) (all P < 0.02). These data suggest that release of vasodilatory prostaglandins contributes to exercise-induced arteriolar vasodilation and hyperemia in skeletal muscle.


1999 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 2218-2224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urs A. Leuenberger ◽  
Kris Gray ◽  
Michael D. Herr

In humans, hypoxia leads to increased sympathetic neural outflow to skeletal muscle. However, blood flow increases in the forearm. The mechanism of hypoxia-induced vasodilation is unknown. To test whether hypoxia-induced vasodilation is cholinergically mediated or is due to local release of adenosine, normal subjects were studied before and during acute hypoxia (inspired O210.5%; ∼20 min). In experiment I, aminophylline (50–200 μg ⋅ min−1 ⋅ 100 ml forearm tissue−1) was infused into the brachial artery to block adenosine receptors ( n = 9). In experiment II, cholinergic vasodilation was blocked by atropine (0.4 mg over 4 min) infused into the brachial artery ( n = 8). The responses of forearm blood flow (plethysmography) and forearm vascular resistance to hypoxia in the infused and opposite (control) forearms were compared. During hypoxia (arterial O2 saturation 77 ± 2%), minute ventilation and heart rate increased while arterial pressure remained unchanged; forearm blood flow rose by 35 ± 6% in the control forearm but only by 5 ± 8% in the aminophylline-treated forearm ( P < 0.02). Accordingly, forearm vascular resistance decreased by 29 ± 5% in the control forearm but only by 9 ± 6% in the aminophylline-treated forearm ( P < 0.02). Atropine did not attenuate forearm vasodilation during hypoxia. These data suggest that adenosine contributes to hypoxia-induced vasodilation, whereas cholinergic vasodilation does not play a role.


1998 ◽  
Vol 275 (2) ◽  
pp. H443-H447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chester A. Ray ◽  
Edward T. Mahoney ◽  
Keith M. Hume

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the effect of exercise-induced muscle injury on hemodynamic responses during exercise. Ten subjects performed unilateral isometric knee extensions (IKE) at 30% of preinjury maximum voluntary contraction to fatigue and for 3 min before and 48 h after muscle injury. Muscle injury was elicited by performing 8 sets of 10 repetitions of eccentric muscle actions of the knee extensor muscles (i.e., quadriceps muscles) by lowering a weight equivalent to 75% of eccentric maximum load. Exercise time to fatigue for IKE at 30% of maximum voluntary contraction in the injured leg was significantly decreased from preinjury to postinjury IKE (257 ± 21 to 203 ± 23 s; n = 10), but was unchanged in the control leg (244 ± 16 to 254 ± 20 s; n = 7). With the use of a 10-cm visual analog scale, ratings of muscle soreness in the injured leg increased from 0 to 5.1 ± 0.7 cm ( P < 0.001) but were not changed in the control leg (0 both times). Both heart rate and mean arterial pressure responses to exercise were unchanged following muscle injury. Forearm blood flow and forearm vascular resistance were not different at rest and during the first minute of exercise before and after muscle injury. However, after muscle injury, forearm blood flow was significantly lower and forearm vascular resistance was significantly higher ( P < 0.03) during the second and third minutes of exercise. There were no significant changes in any variables with the contralateral control leg. In four subjects, resting magnetic resonance images demonstrated a 23% greater relative cross-sectional area of the knee extensor muscles with an elevated transverse relaxation time in the injured versus control leg. The results indicate that forearm vascular resistance is augmented during isometric knee extension following muscle injury of the knee extensor muscles. The data suggest that muscle injury alters vascular control to non-exercising skeletal muscle during exercise.


1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (2) ◽  
pp. H663-H670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Duffy ◽  
Gishel New ◽  
Binh T. Tran ◽  
Richard W. Harper ◽  
Ian T. Meredith

Although many factors are thought to contribute to the regulation of metabolic vasodilation in skeletal muscle vasculature, recent interest has focused on the role of the endothelium. We examined the relative roles of nitric oxide (NO) and of vasodilator prostanoids in the control of metabolically induced functional hyperemia in the forearm of humans. In 43 healthy volunteers [24 ± 5 (SD) yr] we assessed resting and functional hyperemic blood flow (FHBF) in response to 2 min of isotonic forearm exercise before and after inhibition of NO and/or vasodilator prostanoid production with intra-arterial N G-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA, 2 mg/min) and aspirin (ASA, 3 mg/min), respectively. Blood flow was measured using venous occlusion plethysmography.l-NMMA and ASA decreased resting forearm blood flow by 42% ( P < 0.0001) and 23% ( P < 0.0001), respectively, whereas infusion of ASA followed byl-NMMA reduced flow by a further 24% ( P < 0.05).l-NMMA reduced peak FHBF by 18% [from 13.9 ± 1.0 to 11.4 ± 1.1 (SE) ml ⋅ 100 ml forearm−1 ⋅ min−1, P = 0.003] and the volume “repaid” after 1 and 5 min by 25% (8.9 ± 0.7 vs. 6.7 ± 0.7 ml/100 ml, P < 0.0001) and 37% (26.6 ± 1.8 vs. 16.8 ± 1.6 ml/100 ml, P < 0.0001). ASA similarly reduced peak FHBF by 19% (from 14.5 ± 1.1 to 11.8 ± 0.9 ⋅ 100 ml forearm−1 ⋅ min−1, P < 0.001) and the volume repaid after 1 and 5 min by 14% (7.5 ± 0.6 vs. 6.4 ± 0.6 ml/100 ml, P = 0.0001) and 20% (21.2 ± 1.5 vs. 16.9 ± 1.5 ml/100 ml, P < 0.0001), respectively. The coinfusion of ASA andl-NMMA did not decrease FHBF to a greater extent than either agent alone. These data suggest that endothelium-derived NO and vasodilator prostanoids contribute to resting blood flow and metabolic vasodilation in skeletal muscle vasculature in healthy humans. Although these vasodilator mechanisms operate in parallel in exercise-induced hyperemia, they appear not to be additive. Other mechanisms must also be operative in metabolic vasodilation.


1989 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 669-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Duprez ◽  
L. K. Essandoh ◽  
P. M. Vanhoutte ◽  
J. T. Shepherd

Ten normal subjects performed a 90-s isometric exercise [20, 30, and 40% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the flexor muscle of the right index finger or quadriceps muscle of the right leg. Contralateral forearm and calf blood flows (strain gauge plethysmography) and arterial blood pressure (auscultation) were measured simultaneously. Each exercise caused a decrease in forearm vascular resistance and a progressive increase in calf resistance. These changes were greatest with the 40% MVC. With finger exercise at 20 and 40% MVC, the percentage decreases in forearm vascular resistance from control were 12.3 and 22.7%, respectively (P less than 0.01). Similar decreases (9.5 and 24.9%, respectively; P less than 0.01) were noted with exercise of the quadriceps muscle. By contrast, the corresponding increases in calf vascular resistance were greater (P less than 0.01) with quadriceps exercise (13.3 and 55.4%, respectively) than with finger exercise (6.0 and 36.0%). Arrest of the circulation to the exercising muscles just before the exercise ended caused an abrupt increase in forearm vascular resistance and a decrease in calf resistance. These studies provide further evidence of the heterogeneity of responses of forearm and calf resistance vessels to certain cardiovascular stimuli.


1997 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 1933-1940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chim C. Lang ◽  
Don B. Chomsky ◽  
Javed Butler ◽  
Shiv Kapoor ◽  
John R. Wilson

Lang, Chim C., Don B. Chomsky, Javed Butler, Shiv Kapoor, and John R. Wilson. Prostaglandin production contributes to exercise-induced vasodilation in heart failure. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(6): 1933–1940, 1997.—Endothelial release of prostaglandins may contribute to exercise-induced skeletal muscle arteriolar vasodilation in patients with heart failure. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of indomethacin on leg circulation and metabolism in eight chronic heart failure patients, aged 55 ± 4 yr. Central hemodynamics and leg blood flow, determined by thermodilution, and leg metabolic parameters were measured during maximum treadmill exercise before and 2 h after oral administration of indomethacin (75 mg). Leg release of 6-ketoprostaglandin F1α was also measured. During control exercise, leg blood flow increased from 0.34 ± 0.03 to 1.99 ± 0.19 l/min ( P < 0.001), leg O2 consumption from 13.6 ± 1.8 to 164.5 ± 16.2 ml/min ( P < 0.001), and leg prostanoid release from 54.1 ± 8.5 to 267.4 ± 35.8 pg/min ( P < 0.001). Indomethacin suppressed release of prostaglandin F1α( P < 0.001) throughout exercise and decreased leg blood flow during exercise ( P < 0.05). This was associated with a corresponding decrease in leg O2 consumption ( P < 0.05) and a higher level of femoral venous lactate at peak exercise ( P < 0.01). These data suggest that release of vasodilatory prostaglandins contributes to skeletal muscle arteriolar vasodilation in patients with heart failure.


2000 ◽  
Vol 278 (1) ◽  
pp. H168-H174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos E. Negrao ◽  
Michele A. Hamilton ◽  
Gregg C. Fonarow ◽  
Antoine Hage ◽  
Jaime D. Moriguchi ◽  
...  

The extent to which abnormal endothelium-dependent vasodilator mechanisms contribute to abnormal resting vasoconstriction and blunted reflex vasodilation seen in heart failure is unknown. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the resting and reflex abnormalities in vascular tone that characterize heart failure are mediated by abnormal endothelium-mediated mechanisms. Thirteen advanced heart-failure patients (New York Heart Association III-IV) and 13 age-matched normal controls were studied. Saline, acetylcholine (20 μg/min), orl-arginine (10 mg/min) was infused into the brachial artery, and forearm blood flow was measured by venous plethysmography at rest and during mental stress. At rest, acetylcholine decreased forearm vascular resistance in normal subjects, but this response was blunted in heart failure. During mental stress with intra-arterial acetylcholine orl-arginine, the decrease in forearm vascular resistance was not greater than during saline control in heart failure [saline control vs. acetylcholine (7 ± 3 vs. 6 ± 3, P = NS) or vs.l-arginine (9 ± 2 units, P = NS)]. The increase in forearm blood flow was not greater than during saline control in heart failure [saline control vs. acetylcholine (1.2 ± 0.3 vs. 1.3 ± 0.3, P = NS), or vs.l-arginine (1.2 ± 0.2 ml ⋅ min−1 ⋅ 100 ml−1, P = NS)]. Furthermore, during mental stress with nitroprusside, the decrease in forearm vascular resistance was not greater than during saline control [saline control vs. nitroprusside (7 ± 3 vs. 5 ± 4 ml ⋅ min−1 ⋅ 100 g−1, P = NS)], and the increase in forearm blood flow was not greater than during saline control [saline control vs. nitroprusside (1.2 ± 0.3 vs. 1.3 ± 0.5 ml ⋅ min−1 ⋅ 100 g−1, P = NS)]. Because the endothelial-independent agent nitroprusside was unable to restore resting and reflex vasodilation to normal in heart failure, we conclude that impaired endothelium-mediated vasodilation with acetylholine-nitric oxide cannot be the principal cause of the attenuated resting- or reflex-mediated vasodilation in heart failure.


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