Regulation of human cutaneous circulation evaluated by laser Doppler flowmetry, iontophoresis, and spectral analysis: importance of nitric oxide and prostaglandines

• Published in: Microvascular research Vol. 65; no. 3; pp. 160 - 171
• Main Authors: Kvandal, Per, Stefanovska, Aneta, Veber, Mitja, Désirée Kvermmo, Hebe, Arvid Kirkebøen, Knut
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.05.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acetylcholine; Acetylcholine - metabolism; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology; Arginine - metabolism; Arginine - pharmacology; Aspirin - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Cutaneous blood flow dynamics; Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Endothelium; Endothelium - metabolism; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Iontophoresis; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry - methods; Male; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitroprusside - pharmacology; omega-N-Methylarginine - pharmacology; Oscillations; Oscillometry; Prostaglandins; Prostaglandins - metabolism; Regional Blood Flow; Signal Transduction; Skin - blood supply; Skin - metabolism; Skin Physiological Phenomena; Sodium nitroprusside; Spectral analysis; Temperature; Time Factors; Vasodilation; Vertebrates: skin, associated glands, phaneres, light organs, various exocrine glands (salt gland, uropygial gland...), adipose tissue, connective tissue; Wavelet transform; Cutaneous blood flow dynamics; Sodium nitroprusside; Prostaglandins; Wavelet transform; Nitric oxide; Oscillations; Acetylcholine; Spectral analysis; Endothelium; Human; Regional blood flow; Prostaglandin; Iontophoresis; Laser dopplerometry; Regulation(control); Skin; Hemodynamics
• DOI: 10.1016/S0026-2862(03)00006-2
• ISSN: 0026-2862

Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandines (PGs) are important in regulation of vascular tone and blood flow. Their contribution in human cutaneous circulation is still uncertain. We inhibited NO synthesis by infusing N G-monomethyl- l-arginine ( l-NMMA) in the brachial artery (16 μmol/min for 5 min) and reversed it by intraarterial infusion of l-arginine (40 μmol/min for 7.5 min). PG synthesis was inhibited by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor aspirin (600 mg over 5 min intravenously). Basal cutaneous perfusion and perfusion responses during iontophoresis with the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (ACh) and the endothelium-independent vasodilator sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were recorded by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). We performed wavelet transforms of the measured signals. Mean spectral amplitude within the frequency interval from 0.0095 to 1.6 Hz and mean and normalized amplitudes of five intervals around 1, 0.3, 0.1, 0.04, and 0.01 Hz were analysed. The oscillations with frequencies around 1, 0.3, 0.1, and 0.04 Hz are influenced by the heartbeat, the respiration, the intrinsic myogenic activity of vascular smooth muscle, and the neurogenic activity of the vessel wall, respectively. We have previously shown that the oscillation with a frequency around 0.01 Hz is modulated by the vascular endothelium. l-NMMA reduced mean value of the LDF signal by ≈20% ( P = 0.0067). This reduction was reversed by l-arginine. Mean value of the LDF signals during ACh and SNP iontophoresis did not change after infusion of l-NMMA. Aspirin did not affect mean value of the LDF signal or the LDF signal during ACh or SNP iontophoresis. Before interventions the only significant difference between the effects of ACh and SNP was observed in the frequency around 0.01 Hz, where ACh increased normalized amplitude to a greater extent than SNP. l-NMMA abolished this difference, whereas it reappeared after infusion of l-arginine ( P = 0.0084). Aspirin did not affect this difference ( P = 0.006). We conclude that basal cutaneous blood flow and the endothelial dependency of the oscillation around 0.01 Hz are partly mediated by NO, but not by endogenous PGs. Other aspects of human cutaneous circulation studied are not regulated by NO or PGs.