OBJECTIVES Nucleus Raphe Magnus (NRM) that is involved in the regulation of body temperature contains nitric oxide (NO) synthase. Considering the effect of NO on skin blood flow control, in this study, we assessed its thermoregulatory role within the raphe magnus. MATERIALS AND METHODS To this end, tail blood flow of male Wistar rats was measured by laser doppler following the induction of hy...

We present a full field laser Doppler imaging instrument, which enables real-time in vivo assessment of blood flow in dermal tissue and skin. This instrument monitors the blood perfusion in an area of about 50 cm(2) with 480 × 480 pixels per frame at a rate of 12-14 frames per second. Smaller frames can be monitored at much higher frame rates. We recorded the microcirculation in healthy skin be...

Brief, localized, cutaneous, non-painful thermal stimuli can evoke a transient vasomotor response, causing increased cutaneous blood flow and elevated skin temperature. The aims of this study were to investigate 1) if cutaneous sensitization by topical application of capsaicin (TRPV1 receptor agonist) can facilitate the size, duration and spatial extent of this vasomotor response and 2) if male...

• It has often been considered that pie thy smographic foot or hand, and calf or forearm, measurements are representative of skin or of muscle blood flow, respectively, because of the preponderant amounts of each tissue in these areas. However, Cooper et al. have demonstrated that 60% of the total forearm flow may be in the skin under certain conditions. It is obvious, therefore, that increases...

• It has often been considered that pie thy smographic foot or hand, and calf or forearm, measurements are representative of skin or of muscle blood flow, respectively, because of the preponderant amounts of each tissue in these areas. However, Cooper et al. have demonstrated that 60% of the total forearm flow may be in the skin under certain conditions. It is obvious, therefore, that increases...

We tested the hypotheses that thermoregulatory behavior is initiated before changes in blood pressure and that skin blood flow upon the initiation of behavior is reflex mediated. Ten healthy young subjects moved between 40°C and 17°C rooms when they felt 'too warm' (W→C) or 'too cool' (C→W). Blood pressure, cardiac output, skin and rectal temperatures were measured. Changes in skin blood flow b...

BACKGROUND Spatially resolved near-infrared spectroscopy-determined frontal lobe tissue oxygenation (ScO2) is reduced with administration of phenylephrine, while cerebral blood flow may remain unaffected. We hypothesized that extracranial vasoconstriction explains the effect of phenylephrine on ScO2. METHODS We measured ScO2 and internal and external carotid as well as vertebral artery blood ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of changes in local blood flow on the recovery of a small, diffusible molecule (sodium fluorescein) from the extravascular tissue space of the skin, by microdialysis in vivo. Loss and recovery of fluorescein by linear microdialysis probes (5-kDa molecular mass cutoff, 0.2 mm diameter) inserted 1 mm apart in pairs, at three sites in the skin of...