A brief compressive stimulus is known to induce a prominent rapid hyperemia in skeletal muscles, which is considered to contribute to the initial phase of the functional hyperemia. Whether the same mechano- sensitivity characterizes the cutaneous circulation is presently not known due to conflicting evidence from animal studies and to the lack of human studies. This study aims to investigate whether a rapid hyperemic response to compressive stimuli is also expressed by skin blood flow in humans. In 12 healthy subjects, (9 males and 3 females, age: 30±9 yr) two sequences of brief compressive stimuli were delivered to the forearm by a PC-controlled pneumatic cuff at varying pressure (200, 100, 50-mmHg; 2 s) and duration (1, 2 and 5 s; 200-mmHg); both series were repeated with the arm above and below heart level. By positioning the laser- Doppler probe underneath the cuff, cutaneous blood flow of the compressed skin could be monitored. The response was described in terms of peak blood flow normalized to baseline (nCBFpeak), excess blood volume received during the response and time-to-peak, from the release of compression. The results consistently evidenced the occurrence of a compression-induced hyperaemic response, with nCBFpeak = 2.9 ± 1.1, EBV = 17.0 ± 6.6, time-to-peak = 7.0 ± 0.7 (200 mmHg, 2 s, below heart level). Both nCBFpeak and EBV were significantly reduced (by about 50%) above compared to below heart level (p<0.01). To a lesser extent EBV also increased with increasing pressure (p<0,05) and duration (p<0,01) of the stimulus. For the first time, the rapid dilatatory response to compressive stimuli has been demonstrated in human cutaneous circulation. The functional meaning of this response remains to be elucidated.
Skin hyperemic response to compression
Seddone, S;Messere, A;Roatta, S
2019-01-01
Abstract
A brief compressive stimulus is known to induce a prominent rapid hyperemia in skeletal muscles, which is considered to contribute to the initial phase of the functional hyperemia. Whether the same mechano- sensitivity characterizes the cutaneous circulation is presently not known due to conflicting evidence from animal studies and to the lack of human studies. This study aims to investigate whether a rapid hyperemic response to compressive stimuli is also expressed by skin blood flow in humans. In 12 healthy subjects, (9 males and 3 females, age: 30±9 yr) two sequences of brief compressive stimuli were delivered to the forearm by a PC-controlled pneumatic cuff at varying pressure (200, 100, 50-mmHg; 2 s) and duration (1, 2 and 5 s; 200-mmHg); both series were repeated with the arm above and below heart level. By positioning the laser- Doppler probe underneath the cuff, cutaneous blood flow of the compressed skin could be monitored. The response was described in terms of peak blood flow normalized to baseline (nCBFpeak), excess blood volume received during the response and time-to-peak, from the release of compression. The results consistently evidenced the occurrence of a compression-induced hyperaemic response, with nCBFpeak = 2.9 ± 1.1, EBV = 17.0 ± 6.6, time-to-peak = 7.0 ± 0.7 (200 mmHg, 2 s, below heart level). Both nCBFpeak and EBV were significantly reduced (by about 50%) above compared to below heart level (p<0.01). To a lesser extent EBV also increased with increasing pressure (p<0,05) and duration (p<0,01) of the stimulus. For the first time, the rapid dilatatory response to compressive stimuli has been demonstrated in human cutaneous circulation. The functional meaning of this response remains to be elucidated.
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