HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free All Versions of this Article: 97/2/540    most recent 00174.2004v1 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wilson, T. E. Articles by Ray, C. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wilson, T. E. Articles by Ray, C. A.

Vestibular activation does not influence skin sympathetic nerve responses during whole body heating

¹Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, and ²Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, General Clinical Research Center, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033

Submitted 17 February 2004 ; accepted in final form 5 April 2004

The cutaneous vasculature and eccrine sweat glands are modified by both thermal and nonthermal factors. To determine the effect of thermal stress on the vestibulosympathetic reflex, skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) and cutaneous end-organ responses were measured in 10 subjects during static head-down rotation (HDR) and dynamic yaw and pitch (30 cycles/min) to activate the otolith organs and semicircular canals. SSNA (microneurography of peroneal nerve), cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC; laser-Doppler flux/mean arterial pressure), sweat rate (capacitance hygrometry), and body temperature were collected during normothermia and after whole body heating. Body temperature was controlled by perfusing neutral (34–35°C) or warm (44–46°C) water through a tube-lined suit. During normothermia, HDR did not alter SSNA (–0.4 ± 4.4% change), CVC (4.2 ± 6.9% change), or sweat rate (–2.7 ± 1.2% change) within the innervated area of skin. Dynamic yaw and pitch also did not elicit significant changes in SSNA, CVC, or sweat rate during normothermia. Whole body heating significantly increased internal temperature (0.8 ± 0.1°C), mean skin temperature (4.1 ± 0.2°C), CVC (322 ± 109% control), and sweat rate (0.35 ± 0.08 mg·cm^–2·min^–1). After whole body heating, HDR did not significantly alter SSNA (3.2 ± 7.6% change), CVC (–7.3 ± 3.9% change), or sweat rate (–3.3 ± 1.9% change). Dynamic yaw and pitch also did not produce significant changes in SSNA, CVC, or sweat rate after whole body heating. These data suggest that vestibular activation by head movements is not a nonthermal factor affecting SSNA and cutaneous end-organ responses in humans.

skin blood flow; sweat rate; otolith organs; semicircular canals; microneurography; skin sympathetic nerve activity

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. N. Young, J. P. Fisher, K. M. Gallagher, A. Whaley-Connell, K. Chaudhary, R. G. Victor, G. D. Thomas, and P. J. Fadel Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase evokes central sympatho-excitation in healthy humans J. Physiol., October 15, 2009; 587(20): 4977 - 4986. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R. Carter and C. A. Ray Sympathetic responses to vestibular activation in humans Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, March 1, 2008; 294(3): R681 - R688. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. E. Wilson and C. A. Ray Effect of thermal stress on the vestibulosympathetic reflexes in humans J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2004; 97(4): 1367 - 1370. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]