scholarly journals Effects of acetylcholine and nitric oxide on forearm blood flow at rest and after a single muscle contraction

1998 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 2249-2254 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Brock ◽  
M. E. Tschakovsky ◽  
J. K. Shoemaker ◽  
J. R. Halliwill ◽  
M. J. Joyner ◽  
...  

We tested the hypothesis that ACh or nitric oxide (NO) might be involved in the vasodilation that accompanies a single contraction of the forearm. Eight adults (3 women and 5 men) completed single 1-s-duration contractions of the forearm to raise and lower a weight equivalent to ∼20% maximal voluntary contraction through a distance of 5 cm. In a second protocol, each subject had a cuff, placed completely about the forearm, inflated to 120 mmHg for a 1-s period, then released as a simulation of the mechanical effect of muscle contraction. Three conditions were studied, always in this order: 1) control, with intra-arterial infusion of saline; 2) after muscarinic blockade with atropine; and 3) after NO synthase inhibition with N G-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) plus atropine. Forearm blood flow (FBF), measured by combined pulsed and echo Doppler ultrasound, was reduced at rest with l-NMMA-atropine compared with the other two conditions. After the single contraction, there were no effects of atropine, butl-NMMA reduced the peak FBF and the total postcontraction hyperemia. After the single cuff inflation, atropine had no effects, whereasl-NMMA caused changes similar to those seen after contraction, reducing the peak FBF and the total hyperemia. The observation thatl-NMMA reduced FBF in response to both cuff inflation and a brief contraction indicates that NO from the vascular endothelium might modulate the basal level of vascular tone and the mechanical component of the hyperemia with exercise. It is unlikely that ACh and NO from the endothelium are involved in the dilator response to a single muscle contraction.

2004 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 2146-2152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason J. Hamann ◽  
John B. Buckwalter ◽  
Philip S. Clifford ◽  
J. Kevin Shoemaker

Nine healthy volunteers performed a series of single handgrip isometric contractions to test the hypothesis that the blood flow response to a contraction is determined solely by the tension-time index (isometric analog of work). Contractions were performed in duplicate at 15, 30, and 60% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) at durations of 0.5, 1, and 2 s. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured beat by beat by using Doppler ultrasound. Peak FBF responded in a graded fashion to graded increases in peak tension with contraction time held constant (35, 56, and 90 ml/min for 15, 30, and 60% MVC for 1 s, respectively). When tension was kept constant, peak FBF responded in a graded fashion to graded increases in duration (77, 90, and 97 ml/min for 60% MVC for 0.5, 1, and 2 s). With a constant tension-time index, peak FBF responded in a graded fashion to graded increases in peak tension (48, 56, and 77 ml/min for 15% MVC/2 s, 30% MVC/1 s, and 60% MVC/0.5 s). Similar trends were also observed for total postcontraction hyperemia. Blood flow increased regardless of whether the change in tension-time index was accomplished by an increase in tension or duration of contraction. However, with a constant tension-time index, the change in blood flow was related to the peak tension developed. Our results suggest that the blood flow response to a single muscle contraction is not determined solely by the work performed (tension-time index) but also by the number of muscle fibers recruited.


1996 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 1516-1521 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Shoemaker ◽  
H. L. Naylor ◽  
Z. I. Pozeg ◽  
R. L. Hughson

Shoemaker, J. K., H. L. Naylor, Z. I. Pozeg, and R. L. Hughson. Failure of prostaglandins to modulate the time course of blood flow during dynamic forearm exercise in humans. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(4): 1516–1521, 1996.—The time course and magnitude of increases in brachial artery mean blood velocity (MBV; pulsed Doppler), diameter ( D; echo Doppler), mean perfusion pressure (MPP; Finapres), shear rate (γ˙ = 8 ⋅ MBV/ D), and forearm blood flow (FBF = MBV ⋅ π r 2) were assessed to investigate the effect that prostaglandins (PGs) have on the hyperemic response on going from rest to rhythmic exercise in humans. While supine, eight healthy men performed 5 min of dynamic handgrip exercise by alternately raising and lowering a 4.4-kg weight (∼10% maximal voluntary contraction) with a work-to-rest cycle of 1:1 (s/s). When the exercise was performed with the arm positioned below the heart, the rate of increase in MBV and γ˙ was faster compared with the same exercise performed above the heart. Ibuprofen (Ibu; 1,200 mg/day, to reduce PG-induced vasodilation) and placebo were administered orally for 2 days before two separate testing sessions in a double-blind manner. Resting heart rate was reduced in Ibu (52 ± 3 beats/min) compared with placebo (57 ± 3 beats/min) ( P < 0.05) without change to MPP. With placebo, D increased in both arm positions from ∼4.3 mm at rest to ∼4.5 mm at 5 min of exercise ( P < 0.05). This response was not altered with Ibu ( P > 0.05). Ibu did not alter the time course of MBV or forearm blood flow ( P > 0.05) in either arm position. The γ˙ was significantly greater in Ibu vs. placebo at 30 and 40 s of above the heart exercise and for all time points after 25 s of below the heart exercise ( P < 0.05). Because PG inhibition altered the time course ofγ˙ at the brachial artery, but not FBF, it was concluded that PGs are not essential in regulating the blood flow responses to dynamic exercise in humans.


1991 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 695-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Calver ◽  
Joe Collier ◽  
Patrick Vallance

1. l-Arginine is the physiological precursor for the formation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide. The synthesis of nitric oxide is stereospecific: d-arginine is not a substrate for nitric oxide synthase. It is possible that the provision of excess l-arginine substrate might increase the vascular synthesis of nitric oxide. We have examined this possibility by studying the effects of local infusion of l-and d-arginine in the forearm resistance bed and the superficial dorsal hand veins of healthy subjects. 2. Drugs were either infused locally into a vein on the back of the hand and then the vein diameter was measured using a linear displacement technique, or into the brachial artery and then the forearm blood flow was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. 3. In the superficial hand veins, l- and d-arginine free base and l- and d-arginine hydrochloride (all four preparations at a dose of 5 μmol/min) all caused a significant increase in venous diameter. The responses of the l-and d-enantiomers did not differ significantly from one another. 4. In the forearm resistance bed, l- and d-arginine free base and l-arginine hydrochloride were without effect at doses of 10 and 40 μmol/min. However, at doses of 160 μmol/min all three preparations of arginine caused a significant increase in forearm blood flow compared with control values. The responses to the three preparations of arginine did not differ significantly from one another. 5. These results show that arginine in high dose is a vasodilator in both human resistance vessels and superficial veins in vivo. The response to arginine was not stereospecific: both the l- and d-enantiomers had the same effect. The dilator effect of high-dose arginine showed neither arterio-nor veno-selectivity. 6. This suggests that the hypotensive effect of systemic infusions of l-arginine in man is mediated by peripheral vasodilatation. It is not possible to ascribe the actions of arginine supplementation in this study to activation of the l-arginine/nitric oxide pathway through the provision of excess substrate.


2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (6) ◽  
pp. H2470-H2477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian P. J. Halcox ◽  
Suresh Narayanan ◽  
Laura Cramer-Joyce ◽  
Rita Mincemoyer ◽  
Arshed A. Quyyumi

The identity of endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) in the human circulation remains controversial. We investigated whether EDHF contributes to endothelium-dependent vasomotion in the forearm microvasculature by studying the effect of K+ and miconazole, an inhibitor of cytochrome P-450, on the response to bradykinin in healthy human subjects. Study drugs were infused intra-arterially, and forearm blood flow was measured using strain-gauge plethysmography. Infusion of KCl (0.33 mmol/min) into the brachial artery caused baseline vasodilation and inhibited the vasodilator response to bradykinin, but not to sodium nitroprusside. Thus the incremental vasodilation induced by bradykinin was reduced from 14.3 ± 2 to 7.1 ± 2 ml · min−1 · 100 g−1( P < 0.001) after KCl infusion. A similar inhibition of the bradykinin ( P = 0.014), but not the sodium nitroprusside (not significant), response was observed with KCl after the study was repeated during preconstriction with phenylephrine to restore resting blood flow to basal values after KCl. Miconazole (0.125 mg/min) did not inhibit endothelium-dependent or -independent responses to ACh and sodium nitroprusside, respectively. However, after inhibition of cyclooxygenase and nitric oxide synthase with aspirin and N G-monomethyl-l-arginine, the forearm blood flow response to bradykinin ( P = 0.003), but not to sodium nitroprusside (not significant), was significantly suppressed by miconazole. Thus nitric oxide- and prostaglandin-independent, bradykinin-mediated forearm vasodilation is suppressed by high intravascular K+ concentrations, indicating a contribution of EDHF. In the human forearm microvasculature, EDHF appears to be a cytochrome P-450 derivative, possibly an epoxyeicosatrienoic acid.


Author(s):  
Brady E. Hanson ◽  
Michael J. Joyner ◽  
Darren P. Casey

Rapid-onset vasodilation (ROV) in response to a single muscle contraction is attenuated with aging. Moreover, sex-related differences in muscle blood flow and vasodilation during dynamic exercise have been observed in young and older adults. The purpose of the present study was to explore if sex-related differences in ROV exist in young (n=36, 25±1 yr) and older (n=32, 66±1 yr) adults. Subjects performed single forearm contractions at 10%, 20%, and 40% maximal voluntary contraction. Brachial artery blood velocity and diameter were measured with Doppler ultrasound, and forearm vascular conductance (ml·min-1·100 mmHg-1) was calculated from blood flow (ml·min-1) and mean arterial pressure (mmHg) and used as a measure of ROV. Peak ROV was attenuated in women across all relative intensities in the young and older groups (P<0.05). In a subset of subjects with similar absolute workloads (~5 kg and ~11kg), age-related differences in ROV were observed among both women and men (P<0.05). However, only older women demonstrated an attenuated peak ROV compared to men (91±6 vs. 121±11 ml·min-1·100 mmHg-1, P<0.05), a difference not observed in the young group (134±8 vs. 154±11 ml·min-1·100 mmHg-1, P=0.15). Additionally, examining the slope of peak ROV across contraction intensities indicated a blunted response in older women compared to their young counterparts (P<0.05), with no differences observed between older and young men (P=0.38). Our data suggest that sex-related differences in the rapid vasodilatory response to single muscle contractions exist in older but not young adults, such that older women have a blunted response compared to older men.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (3) ◽  
pp. H1182-H1185 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Blitzer ◽  
S. D. Lee ◽  
M. A. Creager

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (EDNO) contributes to basal systemic vascular resistance under normoxic conditions. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether EDNO contributes to the regulation of limb vascular resistance during hypoxia in healthy humans. Forearm blood flow was assessed by venous occlusion plethysmography. Hypoxia was induced by delivering a mixture of N2 and O2 via a gas blender adjusted to reduce the PO2 to 50 mmHg. During hypoxia, forearm blood flow increased from 2.4 +/- 0.2 to 3.0 +/- 0.3 ml.100 ml-1.min-1 (P < 0.001), and forearm vascular resistance decreased from 38 +/- 3 to 29 +/- 3 units (P < 0.001). The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, 2,000 micrograms/min intra-arterially) was administered to eight subjects. The percent increase in forearm vascular resistance after administration of L-NMMA was greater during hypoxia than normoxia (67 +/- 14 vs. 39 +/- 15%, P < 0.05). L-NMMA reduced the forearm vasodilator response to hypoxia from 27 +/- 3 to 11 +/- 5% (P = 0.01). To exclude the possibility that this attenuated response to hypoxia was a consequence of vasoconstriction and not specific for nitric oxide synthase inhibition, six subjects received intra-arterial phenylephrine. Phenylephrine did not affect the vasodilator response to hypoxia (17 +/- 3 vs. 21 +/- 6%, P = NS). It is concluded that EDNO contributes to hypoxia-induced vasodilation in the forearm resistance vessels in healthy humans.


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.


2005 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 1251-1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Schrage ◽  
Niki M. Dietz ◽  
John H. Eisenach ◽  
Michael J. Joyner

The relative contributions of endothelium-dependent dilators [nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandins (PGs), and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)] in human limbs are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that relative contributions of NO and PGs differ between endothelial agonists acetylcholine (ACh; 1, 2, and 4 μg·dl−1·min−1) and bradykinin (BK; 6.25, 25, and 50 ng·dl−1·min−1). We measured forearm blood flow (FBF) using venous occlusion plethysmography in 50 healthy volunteers (27 ± 1 yr) in response to brachial artery infusion of ACh or BK in the absence and presence of inhibitors of NO synthase [NOS; with NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA)] and cyclooxygenase (COX; with ketorolac). Furthermore, we tested the idea that the NOS + COX-independent dilation (in the presence of l-NMMA + ketorolac, presumably EDHF) could be inhibited by exogenous NO administration, as reported in animal studies. FBF increased ∼10-fold in the ACh control; l-NMMA reduced baseline FBF and ACh dilation, whereas addition of ketorolac had no further effect. Ketorolac alone did not alter ACh dilation, but addition of l-NMMA reduced ACh dilation significantly. For BK infusion, FBF increased ∼10-fold in the control condition; l-NMMA tended to reduce BK dilation ( P < 0.1), and addition of ketorolac significantly reduced BK dilation. Similar to ACh, ketorolac alone did not alter BK dilation, but addition of l-NMMA reduced BK dilation. To test the idea that NO can inhibit the NOS + COX-independent portion of dilation, we infused a dose of sodium nitroprusside (NO-clamp technique) during ACh or BK that restored the reduction in baseline blood flow due to l-NMMA. Regardless of treatment order, the NO clamp restored baseline FBF but did not reduce the NOS + COX-independent dilation to ACh or BK. We conclude that the contribution of NO and PGs differs between ACh and BK, with ACh being more dependent on NO and BK being mostly dependent on a NOS + COX-independent mechanism (EDHF) in healthy young adults. The NOS + COX-independent dilation does not appear sensitive to feedback inhibition from NO in the human forearm.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 2328-2328
Author(s):  
A. Kyle Mack ◽  
Roberto F. Machado ◽  
Vandana Sachdev ◽  
Mark T. Gladwin ◽  
Gregory J. Kato

Abstract Patients with sickle cell disease have decreased nitric oxide bioavailability, and studies from several groups have confirmed a blunted response to various NO donors in humans and mice with sickle cell disease. Recently published studies show that nitrite induces vasodilation in humans, apparently mediated by conversion of nitrite to NO. This study is designed to determine the potential therapeutic effect of intra-arterial nitrite infusion to restore nitric oxide dependent blood flow in the forearms of patients with sickle cell disease. Venous occlusion strain gauge plethysmography is used to measure the change of forearm blood flow in patients with sickle cell disease, before and after sequential brachial artery infusions of increasing doses of sodium nitrite. In addition, NO responsiveness before and after nitrite infusion is measured by test doses of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Six patients have completed the study and enrollment is continuing. These data indicate that nitrite promotes regional blood flow in patients with sickle cell disease, albeit with a blunted response compared to our healthy control subjects, in whom we previously have found increased blood flow up to 187% with comparable dosing. The significant but blunted response is consistent with the state of nitric oxide resistance to NO donors that has been seen by several groups in patients and mice with SCD. Additionally, we find in these patients that nitrite partially restores SNP responsiveness, with baseline maximal SNP responses more than doubling on average following nitrite infusion, although this finding is preliminary. No adverse effects of nitrite were seen in these six patients. Our early results support a role for nitrite as an NO donor effective in restoring NO-dependent blood flow in patients with sickle cell disease. Additional translational studies are warranted to evaluate the therapeutic effects of systemic nitrite dosing. Table 1. Forearm Blood Flow Response to Nitrite Infusion Nitrite Dose (micromole/min) Sickle Cell Disease Historical Controls P&lt; .0001 (ANOVA) 0.4 5 +/−7.2% N=6 22 +/−3.2% N=10 4 15 +/− 11% N=6 Not infused 40 49 +/− 8.9% N=6 187 +/− 16%N=18 Table 2. Nitrite Effect on Nitroprusside Responsiveness SNP Dose (micrograms/min) Pre-Nitrite Post-Nitrite P= .02 (RM-ANOVA) N=6 0.8 +21 +/− 5.6% +33 +/− 8.3% 1.6 +15 +/− 5.9% +62 +/− 15.1% 3.2 +29 +/− 6.3% +67 +/− 11.5%


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