Work

Noninvasive Measure of Microvascular Nitric Oxide Function in Humans Using Very Low‐Frequency Cutaneous Laser Doppler Flow Spectra

Year: 2007

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: While higher frequency oscillations (0.021-0.6 Hz) in cutaneous blood flow measured by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) relate to oscillations in blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity, very low-frequency oscillations (VLF, 0.0095-0.021 Hz) do not. The authors investigated whether VLF LDF power is nitric oxide (NO) specific. METHODS: LDF combined with intradermal microdialysis was used in the calves of 22 healthy volunteers aged 19-27 years. LDF power spectral analysis was performed by windowed fast Fourier transform. The authors tested whether the NO synthesis inhibitor nitro-l-arginine (NLA) produced selective decreases in VLF power before and after stimulation with acetylcholine. RESULTS: NLA alone did not alter total power but selectively reduced VLF power by approximately 50%. LDF and spectral power increased markedly across all spectra with acetylcholine. This increase was blunted by NLA, which selectively reduced VLF power by approximately 50%. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that VLF oscillations in the laser Doppler signal are NO dependent, increase with cholinergic stimulation, and have potential as a noninvasive marker for NO-dependent microvascular reactivity.

Source: Microcirculation

DOI: 10.1080/10739680601139179

Authors: Julian M. Stewart, Indu Taneja, Michael S. Goligorsky, Marvin S. Medow

Institution: New York Medical College

Language: English

Topic: Nitric Oxide and Endothelin Effects

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases