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The role of shear stress on cutaneous microvascular endothelial function in humans

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Previous studies suggest that exercise and heat stress improve cutaneous endothelial function, caused by increases in shear stress. However, as vasodilatation in the skin is primarily a thermogenic phenomenon, we investigated if shear stress alone without increases in skin temperature that occur with exercise and heat stress increases endothelial function. We examined the hypothesis that repeated bouts of brief occlusion would improve cutaneous endothelial function via shear stress-dependent mechanisms.

Methods

Eleven males underwent a shear stress intervention (forearm occlusion 5 s rest 10 s) for 30 min, five times·week−1 for 6 weeks on one arm, the other was an untreated control. Skin blood flow was measured using laser-Doppler flowmetry, and endothelial function was assessed with and without NOS-inhibition with L-NAME in response to three levels of local heating (39, 42, and 44 °C), ACh administration, and reactive hyperaemia. Data are cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC, laser-Doppler/blood pressure).

Results

There were no changes in the control arm (all d ≤ 0.2, p > 0.05). In the experimental arm, CVC to 39 °C was increased after 3 and 6 weeks (d = 0.6; p ≤ 0.01). Nitric oxide contribution was increased after 6 weeks compared to baseline (d = 0.85, p < 0.001). Following skin heating to 42 °C and 44 °C, CVC was not different at weeks 3 or 6 (d ≤ 0.8, p > 0.05). For both 42 and 44 °C, nitric oxide contribution was increased after weeks 3 and 6 (d ≥ 0.4, p < 0.03). Peak and area-under-the-curve responses to ACh increased following 6 weeks (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Episodic increases in shear stress, without changes in skin or core temperature, elicit an increase in cutaneous microvascular reactivity and endothelial function.

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Abbreviations

AUC:

Area-under-the-cruve

COX:

Cyclooxygenase

CVC:

Cutaneous vascular conductance

EDHF:

Endothelial-derived hyperpolarizing factor

eNOS:

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase

LDF:

Laser-Doppler flux

MAP:

Mean arterial pressure

mC:

Millicoulombs

NO:

Nitric oxide

NOS:

Nitric oxide synthase

PU:

Perfusion units

PORH:

Post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia

Tloc :

Local skin temperature

Tforearm :

Mean forearm temperature

Tsk :

Mean whole body skin temperature

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Acknowledgements

We thank the participants for volunteering their time and effort in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Ergonomics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada

    Gary J. Hodges, Desmond G. Stewart, Paul J. Davison & Stephen S. Cheung

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  1. Gary J. Hodges
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  2. Desmond G. Stewart
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  3. Paul J. Davison
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  4. Stephen S. Cheung
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Contributions

G.J.H. conceived the experiments. G.J.H., D.G.S, P.J.D., and S.S.C designed the experiments. G.J.H., D.G.S, and P.J.D. collected and analyzed the data. G.J.H., D.G.S, P.J.D., and S.S.C interpreted the data. G.J.H drafted the manuscript. G.J.H., D.G.S, P.J.D., and S.S.C revised the manuscript critically for intellectual content. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. All persons designated as authors qualify for authorship, and all those who qualify of authorship are listed.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen S. Cheung.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Funding

The study was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through a Discovery Grant (#227912-12, S.S. Cheung). S.S. Cheung is supported by a Canada Research Chair.

Additional information

Communicated by Narihiko Kondo.

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Hodges, G.J., Stewart, D.G., Davison, P.J. et al. The role of shear stress on cutaneous microvascular endothelial function in humans. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 2457–2468 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3732-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3732-8

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