Uneven perfusion within single cat muscles: nitric oxide and citrate synthase play no role

Relationship between local perfusion and FFA uptake in human skeletal muscle—no effect of increased physical activity and aerobic fitness

We investigated heredity-independent effects of increased physical activity and aerobic fitness on skeletal muscle free fatty acid (FFA) uptake, perfusion, and their heterogeneity at rest and during exercise. Also, the relationship between local skeletal muscle FFA uptake and perfusion was studied. Nine young adult male monozygotic twin pairs with significant difference in physical activity [229 min (SD 156) average time spent for conditioning exercise per week in more and 98 min (SD 71) in less active twins, P = 0.013] and aerobic fitness [18% (SD 10) difference in maximum O2 uptake] between brothers were studied using positron emission tomography. Submaximal knee-extension exercise increased perfusion, FFA uptake, and oxygen uptake in quadriceps femoris muscles 6–10 times compared with resting values ( P < 0.001). More active twins tended to utilize more oxygen, while no differences were found in muscle perfusion or FFA uptake between groups. Mean perfusion and FFA uptake correlated strongly at a whole muscle level, both at rest ( r = 0.97, P = 0.03 in more and r = 0.98, P = 0.02 in less active twins) and during exercise ( r = 0.99, P = 0.01 and r = 0.94, P = 0.06), but at the voxel level (87 mm3) correlation was only moderate during exercise [ r = 0.73 (SD 0.08) vs. r = 0.74 (SD 0.10), P = 0.92] and weak at rest [ r = 0.28 (SD 0.13) vs. r = 0.33 (SD 0.21), P = 0.58]. Exercise decreased both perfusion and FFA uptake heterogeneity within the muscles ( P < 0.001) similarly in both groups. In conclusion, long-term history of moderately increased physical activity tends to enhance muscle oxidative metabolism, but it does not have any significant influence on the FFA uptake or perfusion rates or their heterogeneity in skeletal muscle. Submaximal knee-extension exercise decreases heterogeneity of muscle FFA uptake and perfusion and improves matching between local muscle perfusion and FFA uptake. Thus it seems that the genetic influence is more important to determine the heterogeneity of perfusion and FFA uptake in skeletal muscle than exercise training.

Nitric oxide and prostaglandins influence local skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise in humans: coupling between local substrate uptake and blood flow

Synergic action of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandins (PG) in the regulation of muscle blood flow during exercise has been demonstrated. In the present study, we investigated whether these vasodilators also regulate local blood flow, flow heterogeneity, and glucose uptake within the exercising skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle blood flow was measured in seven healthy young men using near-infrared spectroscopy and indocyanine green and muscle glucose uptake using positron emission tomography and 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-[18F]glucose without and with local blockade of NO and PG at rest and during one-legged dynamic knee-extension exercise. Local blockade was produced by infusing nitro-l-arginine methyl ester and indomethacin directly in the muscle via a microdialysis catheter. Blood flow and glucose uptake were measured in the region of blockade and in two additional regions of vastus lateralis muscle 1 and 4 cm away from the infusion of blockers. Local blockade during exercise at 25 and 40 watts significantly decreased blood flow in the infusion region and in the region 1 cm away from the site of infusion but not in the region 4 cm away. During exercise, muscle glucose uptake did not show any regional differences in response to blockade. These results show that NO and PG synergistically contribute to the local regulation of blood flow in skeletal muscle independently of muscle glucose uptake in healthy young men. Thus these vasodilators can play a role in regulating microvascular blood flow in localized regions of vastus lateralis muscle but do not influence regional glucose uptake. The findings suggest that local substrate uptake in skeletal muscle can be regulated independently of regional changes in blood flow.

The role of nitric oxide in the spatial heterogeneity of basal microvascular blood flow in the rat diaphragm

The effects of N omega-nitro-L: -arginine (L: -NOARG) and N(G)-monomethyl-L: -arginine (L: -NMMA) on the spatial distribution of diaphragmatic microvascular blood flow were assessed in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated rats. Microvascular blood flow was measured after different periods at either a fixed site (Q stat) or 25 different sites (Q scan) using computer-aided laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) scanning. The value of Q stat was unaffected after 15-20 min superfusion with any one of the following agents: L: -NOARG (0.1 mM), L: -NMMA (0.1 mM), L: -arg (10 mM). The cumulative frequency histogram of the Q scan value in the control group displayed a non-Gaussian distribution that was not significantly affected after 15 min superfusion with the vehicle of L: -NOARG. Superfusion with either L: -NMMA or L: -NOARG at 0.1 mM for 15 min displaced the histogram of cumulative frequency to the left, with the median value of blood flow decreasing by 10 to 20%. However, skewness and kurtosis of the distribution of basal Q(scan) were unaffected after superfusion of either of the L: -arg analogues. Pretreatment with L: -arg (10 mM), followed by co-administration of L: -arg (10 mM) with L: -NOARG (0.1 mM) only partially prevented L: -NOARG from exerting this inhibitory effect on the distribution of basal Q scan, while pretreatment with L: -arg in the same manner could prevent L: -NMMA from exerting its inhibitory effect. There was a weak but significant linear relationship between the magnitude of basal Q(scan) and normalized changes in basal Q scan after superfusion of either of the L: -arg analogues. In conclusion, a basal NO activity is present in the diaphragmatic microvascular bed of rats. LDF scanning rather may yield more vivid information about the extent of overall tissue perfusion than conventional LDF whenever basal NO activity is involved. Moreover, the parallel flow profiles after NO synthase blockade suggest that the spatial inhomogeneity of basal diaphragmatic microvascular blood flow is not dependent on basal NO formation.

Endothelial cell dysfunction and abnormal tissue perfusion

OBJECTIVE

To determine the precise role of the myoendothelial regulatory unit in improved tissue perfusion and metabolic regulation.

DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION

A review of the published literature (MEDLINE and other original articles and reviews) on endothelial cells, vascular reactivity, and tissue perfusion.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

According to the concept of intrinsic metabolic regulation, vasodilation in tissues with relatively high metabolic rates competes with sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone, thereby adjusting the balance between local tissue oxygen supply and demand. Although the nature of the oxygen-sensitive structures acting at the local tissue level is not completely understood, endothelial cells in direct contact with blood have a number of properties that confer the potential to act as effective oxygen sensors. The endothelium and smooth muscle of arteries and arterioles seem to be coupled both structurally and functionally. Sensing involves local depolarization and hyperpolarization of the capillary endothelial cell, and communication is achieved by an electronic spread via endothelium-smooth muscle cell-to-cell gap junctions. Therefore, during hypoxic challenge, the ability of a tissue to extract oxygen-and to minimize shunting through areas with a high rate of perfusion relative to their oxygen uptake-may be considered an integrative test of endothelium function and microcirculatory coordination.

CONCLUSION

Endothelial cells seem to play a central role in coordinating the microcirculatory system and promoting tissue perfusion and oxygen supply. In a pathologic situation such as sepsis, abnormal interendothelial cell coupling and an abnormal arteriolar conducted response may account for impaired tissue perfusion and abnormal oxygen extraction.

Local blood flow is not linked to lactate within single rabbit skeletal muscles

A marked regional distribution in blood flow within single skeletal muscles on a non-microvascular level, i.e. at the level of large arterioles or small arteries, is present in dog, cat and rabbit. The mechanism for this perfusion pattern is not known. The goal of the present study was to see if regional blood flow was correlated to regional lactate metabolism. Anesthetized rabbits were studied. Blood flow to 0.25 g muscle samples was measured with microspheres whereas lactate content and lactate dehydrogenase activity were determined in extracts of these samples. No correlation was detected between regional blood flow and regional lactate or lactate dehydrogenase either at rest or during exercise hyperemia. Expressed as the coefficient of variation (CVc), regional blood flow showed a marked scatter, the CVc ranged from 0.32 to 0.35. The corresponding CVc for both lactate and lactate dehydrogenase activity ranged from 0.16 to 0.19. It is concluded that regional blood flow is not correlated to regional lactate metabolism. The regional distribution in blood flow was markedly more uneven than that for lactate content and for lactate dehydrogenase activity.