Dillon, Gabrielle A.

Introduction Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a vasodilating metabolite that plays a role in exercise hyperemia. In humans, exogenous infusion of ATP elevates skeletal muscle blood flow values to that observed during moderate‐intensity exercise. Recently ATP has been shown to evoke prolonged vasodilation over 150 minutes without tachyphylaxis. However, the steady‐state hyperemic responses to superimposed forearm exercise remain unaltered. The kinetics of blood flow during the initiation of exercise remains not well understood. Therefore we evaluated the effects of prolonged exogenous infusion of ATP on exercise hyperemia during the transition between rest and initiation of exercise. Methods While supine, eight healthy young participants (4M/4F; 25±1 years) performed 5 minutes of rhythmic dynamic handgrip exercise bouts (20% of maximum), first during saline (control), then at minute 5 and minute 150 during a continuous ATP infusion into the brachial artery. Each duty cycle consisted of 1 second contraction and 2 second relaxation. Mean blood velocity (MBV; cm/s), forearm vascular conductance (FVC; ml/minutes/100 mmHg), and shear rate (8*MBV/diameter; seconds −1 ) were calculated. The kinetics at the onset of exercise was assessed by calculating the slope of the FVC responses for the first 20 duty cycles after the start of contractions. Data are presented as means ± SEM. Results During saline control FVC was 3.9±0.3 at rest and with exercise rose to 22.7±0.84 and 27.8±1.2 ml/minute/100mmHg at 30 seconds and 1 minute, respectively (P<0.05 for both). Infusion of ATP increased FVC (3.9±0.3 vs 43.1±2.0 ml/minutes/100 mmHg, P<0.05) at five minutes and to 61.0±1.1 ml/minutes/100 mmHg at 150 minutes (P<0.05) with no systemic hemodynamic changes. Prolonged infusion of ATP did not alter the kinetics at the onset of contractions over 20 duty cycles of exercise hyperemic responses compared to control (0.71±0.1 control vs 1.01±0.1 ml/minutes/100mmHg/cycle at 5 minutes and vs 0.65±0.1 at 150 minutes, P>0.05 for all). Shear rate significantly increased compared to control (92±5 vs 751±57 seconds −1 , P<0.05) but was not different across exercise responses during ATP infusion (751±57 at 5 minutes vs 549±46 seconds −1 at 150 minutes, P>0.05). Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that despite the ability of ATP to elevate blood flow to that observed during exercise, the blood flow kinetics for the initiation of dynamic exercise hyperemic response are unaffected and remain unaltered after 150 minutes of prolonged ATP infusion. Further investigation in needed to understand the role of ATP in regulating the blood flow kinetics during dynamic exercise in humans. Support or Funding Information This research was supported by National Institutes of Health Research Grants HL‐119337 and by CTSA UL1 TR000135. The Caywood Professorship via the Mayo Foundation also supported this study.

The purpose of this study was to explore dose dependent vasodilation responses of the individual compounds of Shakuyakukanzoto (SKT), a 1:1 combination of extracts from Paeony and Licorice roots: glycyrrhetic acid (GA), paeoniflorin (PF), and isoliquiritigenin (ISO). 20 young, healthy participants (13M/7W) had four intradermal microdialysis fibers placed in the forearm skin for local delivery of: 1) control (diluent), 2) GA, 3) PF, or 4) ISO at doses of 1, 10, 50, or 100 μm. Cutaneous red cell flux, an index of skin blood flow, was measured by laser‐Doppler flowmetry. Blood pressure (BP) was monitored continuously during fixed measurement periods via finger photo‐plethsmography (Finapres). Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) was derived as red cell flux divided by BP and was normalized as a percentage of baseline (%CVCbl, saline at 4 μl/min) and the maximum CVC (%CVCmax, 28mM sodium nitroprusside at 4 μl/min, local temperature 43°C). Mean CVC did not statistically differ between baseline and individual compound plateau (average of last 5 minutes of infusion) at any dose. The peak flux was significantly higher from baseline at doses 50 and 100 μm for control (56.17±13.32 vs. 96.73±20.32 and 44.64±5.68 vs. 80.21±9.54), PF (62.70±10.09 vs. 115.72±16.16 and 62.37±16.2 vs. 150.21±34.26), GA (48.37±4.41 vs. 71.76±7.16 and 58.36±13.68 vs. 91.51±3.41), and ISO (96.50±23.20 vs. 128.57±27.90 and 44.95±8.78 vs. 91.18±20.37) (p<0.05). However, peak CVC was significantly higher only for GA at dose 50 μm, as well as for control and PF at dose 100 μm compared to their respected baselines (GA: 0.60±0.06 vs. 1.01±0.11, control: 0.61±0.09 vs.1.55±0.61, PF: 0.81±0.20 vs. 1.30±0.30, p<0.05). There were no other significant differences between the control and the compounds for change in CVC from baseline to peak (ΔCVC), %CVCbl, or %CVCmax. There were no significant differences between doses 1, 10, or 50 as compared to 100 μm for other variables. These results suggest that the doses may be lower or below the threshold to cause a vasodilatory effect. Future studies that investigate higher doses of these compounds may be needed. Support or Funding Information The University of Oxford Systems Biology Project sponsored by Tsumura.

Introduction Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is postulated to be a major player in the local control of skeletal muscle vascular tone during exercise. Exercise during hypoxic conditions significantly augments skeletal muscle blood flow and elevates venous plasma levels of ATP compared to normoxic conditions in young healthy adults. This suggests that the elevated levels of ATP during hypoxic exercise contribute to the augmented vasodilation. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition has also been shown to blunt the effects of hypoxia on exercise vasodilation. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of NOS inhibition and hypoxia on vasodilator responses and plasma ATP levels during exercise in healthy young adults. Methods 10 young volunteers (age = 28 ± 1 years, 6 men/4 women) performed four minutes of forearm handgrip exercise at 20% of their maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The forearm handgrip exercise was performed under normoxia and hypoxia (SpO2 = ~80%) with and without NOS inhibitor, LNMMA administered via a brachial artery catheter. Beat to beat blood pressure and heart rate were recorded. Forearm blood flow was measured using Doppler ultrasound and normalized for arterial pressure to determine forearm vascular conductance (FVC). Venous blood was obtained from a retrograde intravenous catheter at rest and during the last minute of each exercise bout. Plasma ATP was measured using the luciferin‐luciferase technique. Results During saline and normoxia FVC was 43.4 ± 8.4 at rest and 307.8 ± 22.6 ml/min/100mmHg during exercise. With hypoxia FVC increased to 59.35 ± 10.5 at rest and 370.9 ± 33.3 ml/min/100mmHg during exercise (both p<0.05 vs. normoxia). During LNMMA and normoxia FVC did not change significantly compared to saline 33.9 ± 4.4 at rest and 283.5 ± 23.2 ml/min/100mmHg during exercise. With hypoxia and LNMMA FVC was 35.04 ± 4.1 at rest (p>0.05 vs. normoxia) and 326.0 ± 23.9 ml/min/100mmHg during exercise (p<0.05 vs. normoxia). When changes from baseline are evaluated, hypoxia augmented the vasodilator responses exercise to exercise during both saline and LNMMA. ATP was higher during 20% MVC exercise with saline during hypoxia as compared to normoxia (65.6 ± 12.1 vs. 108.1 ± 23.2 versus nmol/L, p=0.058). It was also higher during 20% MVC exercise with LNMMA (81.7 ± 9.5 vs. 106.1 ± 14.7 nmol/L, p=0.055). When changes from baseline are evaluated, hypoxia augmented venous ATP concentration with exercise during both saline and LNMMA. Conclusions Our results suggest that increased endogenous ATP release during hypoxic exercise continued to evoke vasodilation during NOS inhibition. A likely source of this ATP is from red blood cells and this interpretation is consistent with findings demonstrating that NOS inhibition has limited effects on ATP mediated dilation in the human forearm. Support or Funding Information This research was supported by National Institutes of Health Research Grants HL‐119337, CTSA UL1 TR000135 and the Caywood Professorship via the Mayo Foundation

Exercise‐induced rapid onset vasodilation produces a temporary rise in skeletal muscle blood flow in humans. The underlying mechanisms for this rapid hyperemia and regulation of muscle blood flow with single contraction are still not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that during a prolonged high dose intrarterial infusion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP; 20 μgrams ·100 mL forearm vol −1 ·min −1 ), the rapid onset vasodilatory response post‐single exercise contraction would be reduced compared to that of adenosine (ADO; 23 μgrams ·100 mL forearm vol −1 ·min −1 ). 14 healthy young participants (30 ± 1 years) performed a forearm single contraction exercise (20% of maximum) at minute 75 of either ATP (N=8) or ADO (N=6) continuous infusion. Artery diameter and blood velocity were measured using Doppler ultrasound. Forearm vascular conductance (FVC; ml·min −1 ·100 mmHg −1 ), time to peak, and area under curve were calculated. The mean resting FVC was higher during ATP (307.15 ± 50.56) and ADO (353.23 ± 43.98) infusion compared to saline infusion (45.17 ± 5.61 and 47.14 ± 5.57) (p<0.05). Compared to ADO, ATP infusion had a lower delta FVC from post‐ to pre‐contraction (174.06 ± 30.75 vs. 276.53 ± 24.90, p<0.05). Area under the curve and time of peak FVC did not significantly differ between drugs. These results suggest a prolonged ATP infusion may have blunted the rapid vasodilatory response more‐so than ADO. Thus, our findings indicate that ATP may be necessary but not obligatory in the rapid onset vasodilation response post‐single muscle contraction in humans. Support or Funding Information Supported by National Institutes of Health Research Grants HL‐119337 (to M.J. Joyner and F.A. Dinenno) and by CTSA UL1 TR000135. The Caywood Professorship (M.J. Joyner) via the Mayo Foundation also supported this research.

AbstractWe tested the hypothesis that post‐COVID‐19 adults (PC) would have impaired cutaneous nitric oxide (NO)‐mediated vasodilation compared to controls (CON). We performed a cross‐sectional study including 10 (10 F/0 M, 69 ± 7 years) CON and 7 (2 F/5 M, 66 ± 8 years) PC (223 ± 154 days post‐diagnosis). COVID‐19 symptoms severity (survey) was assessed (0–100 scale for 18 common symptoms). NO‐dependent cutaneous vasodilation was induced by a standardized 42°C local heating protocol and quantified via perfusion of 15 mM NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester during the plateau of the heating response (intradermal microdialysis). Red blood cell flux was measured with laser‐Doppler flowmetry. Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC = flux/mm Hg) was presented as a percentage of maximum (28 mM sodium nitroprusside +43°C). All data are means ± SD. The local heating plateau (CON: 71 ± 23% CVCmax vs. PC: 81 ± 16% CVCmax, p = 0.77) and NO‐dependent vasodilation (CON: 56 ± 23% vs. PC: 60 ± 22%, p = 0.77) were not different between groups. In the PC group neither time since diagnosis nor peak symptom severity (46 ± 18 AU) correlated with NO‐dependent vasodilation (r < 0.01, p = 0.99 and r = 0.42, p = 0.35, respectively). In conclusion, middle‐aged and older adults who have had COVID‐19 did not have impaired NO‐dependent cutaneous vasodilation. Additionally, in this cohort of PC, neither time since diagnosis nor symptomology were related to microvascular function.

PURPOSE: Human cutaneous circulation is used as an in vivo bioassay to examine mechanisms of systemic vascular dysfunction in cohorts of patients with accelerated cardiovascular disease risk. Local drug infusions, including atorvastatin (statin; LOX inhibitor) and systemic interventions to investigate anti-inflammatory mechanisms (e.g., oral salsalate) have been used to elucidate mechanisms underlying microvascular dysfunction. However, in healthy cohorts, high antioxidant load can attenuate total vasodilation and nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vasodilation. Thus, we aimed to examine endothelial function during high antioxidant load from these localized and systemic treatments in healthy control groups. We hypothesized that combined localized and systemic treatments will attenuate endothelial function in healthy women. METHODS: In a randomized placebo control design, oral salsalate (1500mg/twice daily/5 days) was used to assess the impact of systemic inflammation on cutaneous vascular function. Four intradermal microdialysis fibers were placed into the intradermal space of the ventral forearm of six healthy women (32±7 years). Laser-Doppler flowmeter probes, used to measure cutaneous blood flow, were placed in local heating units set to 33°C. Increasing concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh; endothelium-dependent vasodilator) from 10-10 to 10-1 M were co-perfused with one of the following: Lactated Ringer’s (control), 0.02 mM statin, 15 mM NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), and statin + L-NAME (COMBO) sequentially for 5 min each. Following the dose-response protocol, maximal cutaneous vasodilation was induced by increasing local skin temperature to 43°C and perfusing 28 mM sodium nitroprusside. Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) was calculated as the quotient of red blood cell flux and mean arterial pressure and normalized as a percentage of the site-specific maximum (%CVCmax). Data at each intervention were compared with control using a two-way (dose x site) analysis of variance. Responses at each dosage were compared using paired t-tests and corrected for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: Following oral salsalate, there was no difference in the %CVCmax response to ACh with local L-NAME (p=0.896) or COMBO interventions (p=0.617) as compared to the placebo. However, following oral salsalate, there was a significant reduction in %CVCmax in the statin treated site at higher ACh concentrations (10-5 M, 10-4 M, 10-3 M; all p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Endothelial function was attenuated when subjects were introduced to a combination of oral salsalate and statin localized treatments. Five-day oral salsalate intake and local statin may result in high antioxidant load in healthy women creating a shift in redox balance, thus leading to impaired endothelial function. Supported by NIH Grant R01 HL161000 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Introduction Acute estrogen infusion augments β 2 ‐adrenergic receptor responsiveness in premenopausal women. This suggests an influential role of estrogen in controlling the vasodilator responsiveness via β 2 ‐adrenergic receptors in premenopausal women. Postmenopausal women present with a reduced β 2 ‐adrenergic receptor responsiveness as compared to premenopausal women. This divergent finding in β 2 ‐adrenergic receptor responsiveness could be due to loss of endogenous estrogen postmenopause. Objective Hence, the objective of the study was to compare the β 2 ‐adrenergic vasodilator responses with and without estrogen in postmenopausal women. We hypothesized that the vasodilator effects during endothelial dependent, independent and during β 2 ‐adrenergic agonist infusion would be significantly greater with acute, local estrogen administration. Methods Venous occlusion plethysmography was used to measure forearm blood flow (FBF) in 8 older (age = 59 ± 1 years) healthy, non‐obese (BMI = 23 ± 1 kg/m 2 ) women. FBF was measured at baseline and during an intra‐arterial infusion of acetylecholine (ACH) at 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 μg/100 ml tissue/min, sodium nitroprusside (NTP) at 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 ug/100 ml tissue/min and terbutaline (β 2 agonist) at 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 μg/100 ml tissue/min before (with dextrose co‐infusion) and during acute, local intra‐arterial infusion of estrogen (20 ηg/mL at 1 mL/min). Forearm vascular conductance (FVC) was calculated as FBF divided by mean arterial pressure. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for the absolute FVC and percent baseline FVC of ACH, NTP and terbutaline. Results There were no significant differences in FVC with estrogen infusion as compared to control during ACH, NTP and all terbutaline doses except dose 2 of ACH (Table 1). The AUC are not significantly different during estrogen (p>0.05) as compared to control for ACH, NTP and terbutaline (figure 1). Conclusions These data suggest that acute administration of estrogen, which corresponds to the endogenous levels of estrogen seen in premenopausal women during mid‐cycle, does not augment the β 2 ‐adrenergic vasodilator responses in postmenopausal women. Additionally, these data suggest that estrogen infusion does not increase the endothelial dependent and independent vasodilatory capacity in postmenopausal women. Support or Funding Information HL83947 (MJJ) and Mayo Clinic Women's Health Scholarship (K12 HD065987). This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .