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Palmar eccrine sweating—the role of adrenergic and cholinergic mediators
Author(s) -
WOLF JOHN E.,
MAIBACH HOWARD I.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1974.tb13084.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gerontology , library science , computer science
SUMMARY Fifty‐one healthy human volunteers received intradermal injections of adrenaline. Sixty‐five per cent of injected forearms and 36% of injected palms showed a positive sudorific response. Adrenaline‐induced palmar sweating was not inhibited by atropine blockade or local anaesthesia. Pharmacologically proven atropine blockade completely suppressed emotional palmar sweating, but had no effect on spontaneous palmar sweating. Three groups of five healthy human volunteers were given intravenous doses of: (1) the alphablocker, phentolamine (Rogitine); (2) the alpha‐blocker, phenoxybenzamine (Dibenyline); and (3) the beta‐blocker, propranolol (Inderal). The blocking agents did not inhibit palmar sweating caused by either emotional stimuli or intradermal adrenaline, and did not suppress spontaneous (base line) sweating of the palmar glands. The failure of atropine to block spontaneous (or baseline) palmar sweating may represent either another pharmacological mediator or non‐pharmacologically mediated eccrine gland water loss. If the former is the case, then these findings suggest that the palmar eccrine gland may be related to neither alpha‐ nor beta‐receptors, but rather to a previously undescribed type of adrenergic receptor.