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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 289/4/H1610    most recent 00391.2005v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kirby, B. S. Articles by Dinenno, F. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kirby, B. S. Articles by Dinenno, F. A.

Mechanical effects of muscle contraction do not blunt sympathetic vasoconstriction in humans

Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

Submitted 21 April 2005 ; accepted in final form 23 May 2005

Sympathetic vasoconstrictor responses are blunted in the vascular beds of contracting muscle (functional sympatholysis), but the mechanism(s) have been difficult to elucidate. We tested the hypothesis that the mechanical effects of muscle contraction blunt sympathetic vasoconstriction in human muscle. We measured forearm blood flow (Doppler ultrasound) and calculated the reductions in forearm vascular conductance (FVC) in response to reflex increases in sympathetic activity evoked via lower body negative pressure (LBNP). In protocol 1, eight young adults were studied under control resting conditions and during simulated muscle contractions using rhythmic forearm cuff inflations (20 inflations/min) with cuff pressures of 50 and 100 mmHg with the arm below heart level (BH), as well as 100 mmHg with the arm at heart level (HL). Forearm vasoconstrictor responses (%FVC) during LBNP were –26 ± 2% during control conditions and were not blunted by simulated contractions (range = –31 ± 3% to –43 ± 6%). In protocol 2, eight subjects were studied under control conditions and during rhythmic handgrip exercise (20 contractions/min) using workloads of 15% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) at HL and BH (similar metabolic demand, greater mechanical muscle pump effect for the latter) and 5% MVC BH alone and in combination with superimposed forearm compressions of 100 mmHg (similar metabolic demand, greater mechanical component of contractions for the latter). The forearm vasoconstrictor responses during LBNP were blunted during 15% MVC exercise with the arm at HL (–1 ± 3%) and BH (–2 ± 3%) compared with control (–25 ± 3%; both P < 0.005) but were intact during both 5% MVC alone (–24 ± 4%) and with superimposed compressions (–23 ± 4%). We conclude that mechanical effects of contraction per se do not cause functional sympatholysis in the human forearm and that this phenomenon appears to be coupled with the metabolic demand of contracting skeletal muscle.

blood flow; sympathetic nervous system

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				B. S. Kirby, R. E. Carlson, R. R. Markwald, W. F. Voyles, and F. A. Dinenno Mechanical influences on skeletal muscle vascular tone in humans: insight into contraction-induced rapid vasodilatation J. Physiol., September 15, 2007; 583(3): 861 - 874. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]