TY - JOUR

T1 - Vasodilator interactions in skeletal muscle blood flow regulation

AU - Hellsten, Ylva

AU - Nyberg, Michael Permin

AU - Jensen, Lasse Gliemann

AU - Mortensen, Stefan Peter

N1 - CURIS 2012 5200 117

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - During exercise, oxygen delivery to skeletal muscle is elevated to meet the increased oxygen demand. The increase in blood flow to skeletal muscle is achieved by vasodilators formed locally in the muscle tissue, either on the intraluminal or the extraluminal side of the blood vessels. A number of vasodilators have been shown to bring about this increase in blood flow and, importantly, interactions between these compounds seem to be essential for the precise regulation of blood flow. Two compounds stand out as central in these vasodilator interactions; nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin. These two vasodilators are both stimulated by several compounds, eg. adenosine, ATP, acetylcholine, bradykinin, and are affected by mechanically induced signals, such as shear stress. NO and prostacyclin have also been shown to interact in a redundant manner where one system can take over when formation of the other is compromised. Although numerous studies have examined the role of single and multiple pharmacological inhibition of different vasodilator systems, and important vasodilators and interactions have been identified, a large part of the exercise hyperemic response remains unexplained. It is plausible that this remaining hyperemia may be explained by cAMP and cGMP independent smooth muscle relaxation, such as effects of endothelial derived hyperpolarization factors (EDHFs) or through metabolic modulation of sympathetic effects. The nature and role of EDHF as well as potential novel mechanisms in muscle blood flow regulation remain to be further explored to fully elucidate the regulation of exercise hyperemia.

AB - During exercise, oxygen delivery to skeletal muscle is elevated to meet the increased oxygen demand. The increase in blood flow to skeletal muscle is achieved by vasodilators formed locally in the muscle tissue, either on the intraluminal or the extraluminal side of the blood vessels. A number of vasodilators have been shown to bring about this increase in blood flow and, importantly, interactions between these compounds seem to be essential for the precise regulation of blood flow. Two compounds stand out as central in these vasodilator interactions; nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin. These two vasodilators are both stimulated by several compounds, eg. adenosine, ATP, acetylcholine, bradykinin, and are affected by mechanically induced signals, such as shear stress. NO and prostacyclin have also been shown to interact in a redundant manner where one system can take over when formation of the other is compromised. Although numerous studies have examined the role of single and multiple pharmacological inhibition of different vasodilator systems, and important vasodilators and interactions have been identified, a large part of the exercise hyperemic response remains unexplained. It is plausible that this remaining hyperemia may be explained by cAMP and cGMP independent smooth muscle relaxation, such as effects of endothelial derived hyperpolarization factors (EDHFs) or through metabolic modulation of sympathetic effects. The nature and role of EDHF as well as potential novel mechanisms in muscle blood flow regulation remain to be further explored to fully elucidate the regulation of exercise hyperemia.

U2 - 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.240762

DO - 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.240762

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22988140

VL - 590

SP - 6297

EP - 6305

JO - The Journal of Physiology

JF - The Journal of Physiology

SN - 0022-3751

IS - 24

ER -