Biomaterial Database

The effect of acetylcholine on finger capillary pressure and capillary flow in healthy volunteers. 1996

S J Morris, and S Kunzek, and A C Shore

Department of Vascular Medicine, Postgraduate Medical School, University of Exeter, UK.

1. Constitutive nitric oxide (NO) synthase has been demonstrated in human skin microvascular endothelial cells; however, the physiological significance of this finding is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acetylcholine (ACh), which stimulates the release of NO from endothelial cells, on skin capillary pressure, capillary pulse pressure amplitude (CPPA) and capillary red blood cell velocity (CBV) in healthy volunteers. 2. Finger nailfold capillary pressure was measured in five healthy volunteers. CBV was measured in capillaries of the dorsal middle phalangeal area of the finger in six subjects using a recently developed capillary anemometer. In each case the responses to ionophoretically applied ACh and vehicle were measured on two separate fingers on the left hand. 3. Application of vehicle did not significantly change either capillary pressure, CPPA or CBV. ACh significantly increased capillary pressure (from 15.8 +/- 2.2 mmHg under basal conditions to 27.7 +/- 3.8 mmHg at the plateau of the ACh response; P < 0.008), CPPA (from 2.4 +/- 2.4 mmHg at baseline to 8.4 +/- 2.4 mmHg at the plateau of the drug response; P < 0.013) and CBV (from 0.54 +/- 0.22 mm s-1 at baseline to 2.46 +/- 1.12 mm s-1 after ACh; P < 0.008). 4. The increases in capillary pressure, CPPA and CBV following the application of ACh suggest that the overall effect of ACh was to induce a reduction in the pre- to postcapillary resistance ratio.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D001794	Blood Pressure	PRESSURE of the BLOOD on the ARTERIES and other BLOOD VESSELS.	Systolic Pressure,Diastolic Pressure,Pulse Pressure,Pressure, Blood,Pressure, Diastolic,Pressure, Pulse,Pressure, Systolic,Pressures, Systolic
D001831	Body Temperature	The measure of the level of heat of a human or animal.	Organ Temperature,Body Temperatures,Organ Temperatures,Temperature, Body,Temperature, Organ,Temperatures, Body,Temperatures, Organ
D002196	Capillaries	The minute vessels that connect arterioles and venules.	Capillary Beds,Sinusoidal Beds,Sinusoids,Bed, Sinusoidal,Beds, Sinusoidal,Capillary,Capillary Bed,Sinusoid,Sinusoidal Bed
D005260	Female		Females
D005385	Fingers	Four or five slender jointed digits in humans and primates, attached to each HAND.	Finger
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000109	Acetylcholine	A neurotransmitter found at neuromuscular junctions, autonomic ganglia, parasympathetic effector junctions, a subset of sympathetic effector junctions, and at many sites in the central nervous system.	2-(Acetyloxy)-N,N,N-trimethylethanaminium,Acetilcolina Cusi,Acetylcholine Bromide,Acetylcholine Chloride,Acetylcholine Fluoride,Acetylcholine Hydroxide,Acetylcholine Iodide,Acetylcholine L-Tartrate,Acetylcholine Perchlorate,Acetylcholine Picrate,Acetylcholine Picrate (1:1),Acetylcholine Sulfate (1:1),Bromoacetylcholine,Chloroacetylcholine,Miochol,Acetylcholine L Tartrate,Bromide, Acetylcholine,Cusi, Acetilcolina,Fluoride, Acetylcholine,Hydroxide, Acetylcholine,Iodide, Acetylcholine,L-Tartrate, Acetylcholine,Perchlorate, Acetylcholine
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults