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Water ingestion reduces skin blood flow through sympathetic vasoconstriction

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Abstract

Objective

Water ingestion induces a pressor effect in patients with efferent baroreflex impairment and a mild pressor effect in elderly healthy subjects. However, water raised the total peripheral vascular resistance (TPR) without a prominent change in blood pressure in young healthy subjects. We try to investigate whether water elicits a cardiovascular response via regulating regional skin blood flow (SkBF) in young healthy subjects.

Methods

In a randomized, controlled, crossover fashion, 15 healthy male subjects (19–27 years old) ingested either 500 (water session) or 50 ml of water (control). The heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac index, and TPR were measured using a Task Force Monitor. A laser Doppler velocimeter was used to determine the change in the SkBF at the left thenar eminence. Plasma catecholamines and their metabolites were also measured.

Results

At 25 min after ingestion of 500 ml water, the cardiac index and SkBF significantly decreased compared to control. In contrast, the TPR significantly increased after ingestion of 500 ml water. Plasma dihydroxyphenylalanine significantly increased at 25 min after water.

Interpretation

Water ingestion decreases the cardiac index to compensate for the increase in the TPR, leading to no net change in blood pressure in young healthy subjects. This study suggests that water decreases the SkBF, a mechanism that might account partly for the nature of osmopressor response to water in young healthy subjects.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support was provided by a government grant (NSC95-2314-B-016-003) from the National Science Council, Taiwan.

Conflict of interest

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Tri-Service General Hospital/National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chih-Cherng Lu, Tso-Chou Lin & Shung-Tai Ho

  2. Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital/National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

    Min-Hui Li

  3. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chih-Cherng Lu, Ta-Liang Chen & Shung-Tai Ho

  4. Graduate Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ruei-Ming Chen

  5. Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

    Che-Se Tung

  6. Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Ching-Jiunn Tseng

  7. Department of Anesthesiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital/National Defense Medical Center, 4 F, Chung-Cheng Building, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shipai Rd, Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan

    Shung-Tai Ho

Authors
  1. Chih-Cherng Lu
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  2. Min-Hui Li
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  3. Tso-Chou Lin
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  4. Ta-Liang Chen
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  6. Che-Se Tung
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  7. Ching-Jiunn Tseng
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  8. Shung-Tai Ho
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Correspondence to Shung-Tai Ho.

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Lu, CC., Li, MH., Lin, TC. et al. Water ingestion reduces skin blood flow through sympathetic vasoconstriction. Clin Auton Res 22, 63–69 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-011-0142-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-011-0142-6

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