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Gender but not the menstrual cycle affects the cutaneous venoarteriolar response in humans
Author(s) -
Fu Qi,
Shook Robin P,
Shibata Shigeki,
Hastings Jeffrey L,
Okazaki Kazunobu,
Conner Colin L,
Palmer M Dean,
Levine Benjamin D
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a1370-b
Subject(s) - luteal phase , medicine , menstrual cycle , endocrinology , basal (medicine) , heart rate , follicular phase , supine position , blood pressure , blood flow , hemodynamics , hormone , insulin
We tested the hypothesis that human cutaneous venoarteriolar response (VAR) is different between genders and affected by the menstrual cycle. Ten healthy males and 11 young females were studied. Females were tested twice: early follicular phase (EFP) and luteal phase (LP). Skin blood flow (SkBF) was measured via laser‐Doppler flowmetry in the calf at heart level and during leg dependency in supine. Calf cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) was calculated. Basal SkBF in males was greater than females [84±42 vs. 51±25 (EFP, P =0.039) and 59±23 AU (LP, P =0.099)]. The VAR, assessed as a relative decrease in SkBF from baseline, was greater in males than females, while it was not different between phases (42±21 vs. 31±16 during EFP and 30±11% during LP; P =0.017 and 0.846 for genders and phases). There was a positive relation between basal SkBF and VAR ( r =0.592, P <0.001). The reduction in CVC during leg dependency was greater in males than females (49±15 vs. 32±18 during EFP and 30±11% during LP; P =0.033 and 0.005). Blood pressure and heart rate remained unchanged. These results suggest that gender but not the menstrual cycle influences cutaneous venoarteriolar response. The smaller response in women appears to be related to the lower basal skin blood flow which may be attributable to an increase in sympathetic tone rather than a local structural or functional difference in the cutaneous circulation. Supported by NIH K23 (HL0752 83)