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Skin blood flow response following repeated local heating (LB803)
Author(s) -
Herron Robert,
Collins Ann,
Carter Stephen,
Mitchell Jermaine,
Bishop Phillip
Publication year - 2014
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.28.1_supplement.lb803
Subject(s) - blood flow , supine position , medicine , vasodilation , forearm , blood pressure , thermoregulation , skin temperature , vasoconstriction , laser doppler velocimetry , anesthesia , surgery , biomedical engineering
Dynamic control of skin blood flow is necessary to maintain thermoregulatory homeostasis in humans through reflexive and local mechanisms. Local heating of the skin elicits vasodilation via local sensory nerves and nitric oxide (NO). However, research investigating the desensitization of the cutaneous vasculature to repeated heating remains equivocal. Eight healthy‐young participants (6 males, 2 females, age 21 ± 2 yr) completed a heat (H1) and reheat (H2) protocol. Females were tested in the follicular or low hormone phase of their menstrual cycle (2‐7 days post menses). Participants rested supine as their dominant forearm was instrumented with a laser Doppler flowmetry probe (LDF) and local skin heater. Baseline skin blood flow (in arbitrary units; au) and blood pressure were assessed during a 5‐min period during which local skin temperature was clamped at 34 °C. The heater was increased by 0.2 °C•10 s‐1 to a temperature of 42 °C. Skin blood flow continued to be measured for at least 30 min to attain a max NO‐driven plateau. Blood pressure was measured every 10 min via automated oscillometry. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was used to calculate cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC; LDF/MAP). The heating protocol was repeated after 1 hour of quiet rest. A paired‐samples t‐test found no difference in CVC at baseline (p = 0.20, H1 = 0.19 ± 0.04 au/mm Hg vs H2 = 0.25 ± 0.13 au/mm Hg) nor any difference detected in maximum skin blood flow as expressed in %∆CVC (p = 0.41, H1 = 938 ± 350 au/mm Hg vs H2 = 779 ± 404 au/mm Hg). The results indicate that maximal skin blood flow can be achieved during repeated bouts of local heating separated by 1 hour.