Blunted increases in skin sympathetic nerve activity are related to attenuated reflex vasodilation in aged human skin
Stanhewicz AE, Greaney JL, Alexander LM, Kenney WL
Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 22 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Nonprofit
- American College of Sports Medicine
- Government
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Government
- NHLBI NIH HHS
- Grants
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01-HL093238)
Based on 3 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2016-10-27 · J Appl Physiol (1985) · vol. 121 · issue 6 · pp. 1354–1362
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Cited
- 23 citations · more than 84% of similar papers · 1.7× the field average
- References
- 67 works
- Access
- Open access (repository copy)
- Research areas
- Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Infrared Thermography in Medicine
- Keywords
- Reflex, Vasodilation, Medicine, Sympathetic nerve, Anesthesia, Sympathetic nervous system, Human skin, Sympathetic activity, Microneurography, Internal medicine, Baroreflex, Blood pressure, Heart rate, Biology
- MeSH
- sympathetic nervous system, skin, humans, fever, laser-doppler flowmetry, reflex, body temperature, body temperature regulation, aging, vasodilation, adult, aged, female, male, young adult, arterial pressure
4 authors
From US
- Anna E. Stanhewicz · correspondingPennsylvania State University
- Jody L. GreaneyPennsylvania State University
- Lacy M. AlexanderPennsylvania State University
- W. Larry KenneyPennsylvania State University
Abstract
Reflex cutaneous vasodilation in response to passive heating is attenuated in human aging. This diminished response is mediated, in part, by age-associated reductions in endothelial function; however, the contribution of altered skin sympathetic nervous system activity (SSNA) is unknown. We hypothesized that 1) healthy older adults would demonstrate blunted SSNA responses to increased core temperature compared with young adults and 2) the decreased SSNA response would be associated with attenuated cutaneous vasodilation. Reflex vasodilation was elicited in 13 young [23 ± 1 (SE) yr] and 13 older (67 ± 2 yr) adults using a water-perfused suit to elevate esophageal temperature by 1.0°C. SSNA (peroneal microneurography) and red cell flux (laser Doppler flowmetry) in the innervated dermatome (the dorsum of foot) were continuously measured. SSNA was normalized to, and expressed as, a percentage of baseline. Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) was calculated as flux/mean arterial pressure and expressed as a percentage of maximal CVC (local heating, 43°C). Reflex vasodilation was attenuated in older adults (P 2 = 0.87 ± 0.02, P 2 = 0.76 ± 0.05, P < 0.01) adults; however, slope of the linear regression between ΔSSNA and ΔCVC was reduced in older compared with young (older: 0.05 ± 0.01 vs. young: 0.08 ± 0.01; P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that age-related impairments in reflex cutaneous vasodilation are mediated, in part, by blunted efferent SSNA during hyperthermia.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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