Rapid vasodilation in response to a brief tetanic muscle contraction

• Published in: Journal of applied physiology (1985) 1999-11, Vol.87 (5), p.1741-1746
• Main Authors: Naik, Jay S, Valic, Zoran, Buckwalter, John B, Clifford, Philip S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylcholine - metabolism; Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Blood Pressure - physiology; Circulatory system; Dogs; Electric Stimulation; Exercise; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart Rate - drug effects; Heart Rate - physiology; Motor Endplate - drug effects; Motor Endplate - metabolism; Motor Neurons - metabolism; Motor Neurons - physiology; Muscle Contraction - physiology; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - innervation; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - physiology; Muscular system; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents - pharmacology; Regional Blood Flow - drug effects; Regional Blood Flow - physiology; Sciatic Nerve - drug effects; Sciatic Nerve - physiology; Striated muscle. Tendons; Vasodilation - physiology; Vertebrates: osteoarticular system, musculoskeletal system
• ISSN: 8750-7587; 1522-1601
• DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1999.87.5.1741

Departments of Anesthesiology and Physiology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53295 To test the hypothesis that vasodilation occurs because of the release of a vasoactive substance after a brief muscle contraction and to determine whether acetylcholine spillover from the motor nerve is involved in contraction-induced hyperemia, tetanic muscle contractions were produced by sciatic nerve stimulation in anesthetized dogs ( n  = 16), instrumented with flow probes on both external iliac arteries. A 1-s stimulation of the sciatic nerve at 1.5,   3, and 10 times motor threshold increased blood flow above baseline ( P