Skip to main content

Aortic, cerebral and lower limb arterial and venous response to orthostatic stress after a 60-day bedrest

European Journal of Applied Physiology volume 112, pages 277–284 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess by echography and Doppler the Cerebral (Vmca), Aortic (Vao) and Femoral (Vfem) arterial flow velocity and calf vein (Tibial, Gastrocnemius) section (Tib, Gast) during orthostatic intolerance (OI) test after a 60-day, head down tilt bed rest (HDBR). Twenty-four women (25–40 years) underwent a 60-day HDBR at −6°: eight as control (Con), eight with exercise against lower body negative pressure (Ex-Lb) and eight with nutrition supplement (Nut). Before and after (R0) HDBR, all subjects underwent a 10-min, 80° tilt followed by progressive LBNP until presyncope. After the post-HDBR Tilt + LBNP test, two groups were identified: finishers (F, n = 11) who completed the Tilt and non-finishers (NF, n = 13). A higher percentage decrease in Vao flow, higher percentage distension of Tib vein and a lack of increase in Vmca/Vfem ratio during the post-HDBR Tilt + LBNP compared to pre-HDBR were correlated to OI, but not all of these abnormal responses were present in each of the NF subjects. Abnormal responses were more frequent in Con and Nut than in Ex-Lb subjects. (1) HDBR did not affect the cardiac, arterial and venous responses to the orthostatic test to the same extent in each subject. (2) Exercise within LBNP partially preserved the cardiovascular response to Tilt, while Nutrition supplementation had no efficacy. (3) Cerebral/femoral flow ratio and aortic flow were the parameters most closely related to OI. (4) Reduction in aortic flow was not the major hemodynamic change preceding syncope.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Adamson SL, Morrow RJ, Languille BL (1990). Side dependent effect of increase in placental vascular resistance on the umbilical arterial velocity waveform in fetal sheep. Ultrasound Med Biol6:19–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Alkner BA, Tesch PA (2004) Knee extensor and plantar flexor muscle size and function following 90 days of bed rest with or without resistance exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 93(3):294–305

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arbeille P (1997) Doppler sensors and harnesses for cardiac and peripheral arterial flow monitoring. Ultrasound Med Biol 3:415–423

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arbeille P, Pavy-leTraon A, Fomina G, Vasseur P, Guell A (1995) Femoral artery flow response to LBNP, as an indicator of orthostatic tolerance. Application to long term head down tilt, & spaceflight. Aviat Space Environ Med 66:131–136

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arbeille P, Besnard S, Kerbeci P, Pascaud L, Mohty D (2005) Portal vein cross-sectional area and flow, and orthostatic tolerance—a 90-day bed-rest study. Am J Applied Physiol (5):1853–1857

  • Arbeille P, Kerbeci P, Mattar L, Shoemaker JK, Hughson RL (2008a) WISE-2005—Tibial & gastrocnemius vein, and calf tissue response to LBNP after a 60 day bedrest with & without counter-measures. J Appl Physiol 104(4):938–943

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arbeille P, Kerbeci P, Mattar L, Shoemaker JK, Hughson R (2008b) Insufficient flow reduction during LBNP in both splanchnic & lower limb areas is associated with orthostatic intolerance after bedrest. Am J Physiol Heart Circ 295(5):1846–1854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belin de Chantemèle E, Ludovic Pascaud, Custaud M, Capri A, Louisy F, Blanc S, Ferretti G, Gharib C, Arbeille P (2004) Calf volume and vein cross section during stand-test after a 90 day bed rest study with/without exercise counter-measure. J Physiol (Lond) 561(2):611–622

  • Bringard A, Pogliaghi S, Adami A, De Roia G, Lador F, Lucini D, Pizzinelli P, Capelli C, Ferretti G (2010) Cardiovascular determinants of maximal oxygen consumption in upright and supine posture at the end of prolonged bed rest in humans. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 172(1–2):53–62

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown CM, Dütsch M, Hecht MJ, Neundörfer B, Hilz MJ (2003) Assessment of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular responses to lower body negative pressure as a test of cerebral autoregulation. J Neurol Sci 15;208(1–2):71–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Dorfman TA, Levine BD, Tillery T, Peshock RM, Hastings JL, Schneider SM, Macias BR, Biolo G, Hargens AR (2007) Cardiac atrophy in women following bed rest. J Appl Physiol 103(1):8–16

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esposito F, Limonta E, Alberti G, Veicsteinas A, Ferretti G (2010). Effect of respiratory muscle training on maximum aerobic power in normoxia and hypoxia. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 31;170(3):268–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Gharib C, Maillet A, Gauquelin G, Allevard A, Guell A, Cartier R, Arbeille PH (1992) Results of a 4 week HDT with and without LBNP countermeasure: (I) Volume regulating hormones. Aviat Space Environ Med 63:3–8

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gisolf J, Westerhof BE, van Dijk N, Wesseling KH, Wieling W, Karemaker JM (2004) Sublingual nitroglycerin used in routine Tilt testing provokes a cardiac output-mediated vasovagal response. J Am Coll Cardiol 44(3):588–593

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goswami N, Roessler A, Lackner HK, Schneditz D, Grasser E, Hinghofer-Szalkay HG (2009) Heart rate and stroke volume response patterns to augmented orthostatic stress. Clin Auton Res 19(3):157–165

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guell A, Braak L, Pavy-le Traon A, Gharib C (1991) Cardiovascular adaptation during simulated microgravity: lower body negative pressure to counter orthostatic hypotension. Aviat Space Environ Med 62:331–335

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guinet P, Schneider SM, Macias BR, Watenpaugh DE, Hughson RL, Le Traon AP, Bansard JY, Hargens AR (2009) WISE-2005: effect of aerobic and resistive exercises on orthostatic tolerance during 60 days bed rest in women. Eur J Appl Physiol 106(2):217–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo H, Tierney N, Schaller F, Raven PB, Smith SA, Shi X (2006) Cerebral autoregulation is preserved during orthostatic stress superimposed with systemic hypotension. J Appl Physiol 100(6):1785–1792

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hughson RL, Shoemaker JK, Arbeille P, O’Leary DD, Pissolitto KS, Hughes MD (2004) Splanchnic and peripheral vascular resistance during lower body negative pressure (LBNP) and Tilt. Gravit Physiol 11(2):95–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuriyama K, Ueno T, Ballard RE, Cowings PS, Toscano WB, Watenpaugh DE, Hargens AR (2000) Cerebrovascular responses during lower body negative pressure-induced presyncope. Aviat Space Environ Med 71(10):1033–1038

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Macias BR, Cao P, Watenpaugh DE, Hargens AR (2007) LBNP treadmill exercise maintains spine function and muscle strength in identical twins during 28-day simulated microgravity. J Appl Physiol 102(6):2274–2278

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pavy-Le Traon A, Louisy F, Vasseur-Clausen P, Güell A, Gharib C (1999) Contributory factors to orthostatic intolerance after simulated weightlessness. Clin Physiol 19(5):360–368

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shoemaker JK, Hogeman CS, Silber DH, Gray K, Herr M, Sinoway LI (1998) Head-down tilt bed rest alters forearm vasodilator and vasoconstrictor responses. J Appl Physiol 84:1756–1762

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trappe TA, Burd NA, Louis ES, Lee GA, Trappe SW (2007) Influence of concurrent exercise or nutrition countermeasures on thigh and calf muscle size and function during 60 days of bed rest in women. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 191(2):147–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Verheyden B, Liu J, van Dijk N, Westerhof BE, Reybrouck T, Aubert AE, Wieling W (2008) Steep fall in cardiac output is main determinant of hypotension during drug-free and nitroglycerine-induced orthostatic vasovagal syncope. Heart Rhythm 5(12):1695–1701

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watenpaugh DE, O’Leary DD, Schneider SM, Lee SM, Macias BR, Tanaka K, Hughson RL, Hargens AR (2007) Lower body negative pressure exercise plus brief postexercise lower body negative pressure improve post-bed rest orthostatic tolerance. J Appl Physiol 103:1964–1972

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the sonographers from Tours University Hospital (Maryannick Porcher, Valerie Moreau, Frederic Salez and Joel Blouin) for their active participation on the capture of the Echographic and Doppler data.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. CERCOM-UMPS Med Physiol spatiale, University-CHU Trousseau, Tours, France

    P. Arbeille & P. Kerbeci

  2. Department of Kinesiology, University of London, London, Canada

    K. Shoemaker

  3. Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada

    R. Hughson

  4. Department of Physical Perform-Development, University of New-Mexico, Albuquerque, USA

    S. Schneider

  5. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCSD Med Center, San Diego, USA

    A. Hargens

Authors
  1. P. Arbeille
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Shoemaker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Kerbeci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. Schneider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. Hargens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. R. Hughson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Arbeille.

Additional information

Communicated by Guido Ferrett.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Arbeille, P., Shoemaker, K., Kerbeci, P. et al. Aortic, cerebral and lower limb arterial and venous response to orthostatic stress after a 60-day bedrest. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 277–284 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-1935-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-1935-y

Keywords

  • Tilt
  • LBNP
  • Orthostatic tolerance
  • Cerebral
  • Aortic
  • Femoral flow