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. 2010 Nov;109(5):1301-6.
doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00646.2010. Epub 2010 Aug 12.

Skin blood flow and local temperature independently modify sweat rate during passive heat stress in humans

Jonathan E Wingo  1 , David A Low, David M Keller, R Matthew Brothers, Manabu Shibasaki, Craig G Crandall
Affiliations

Skin blood flow and local temperature independently modify sweat rate during passive heat stress in humans

Jonathan E Wingo et al. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2010 Nov.

Abstract

Sweat rate (SR) is reduced in locally cooled skin, which may result from decreased temperature and/or parallel reductions in skin blood flow. The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that decreased skin blood flow and decreased local temperature each independently attenuate sweating. In protocols I and II, eight subjects rested supine while wearing a water-perfused suit for the control of whole body skin and internal temperatures. While 34°C water perfused the suit, four microdialysis membranes were placed in posterior forearm skin not covered by the suit to manipulate skin blood flow using vasoactive agents. Each site was instrumented for control of local temperature and measurement of local SR (capacitance hygrometry) and skin blood flow (laser-Doppler flowmetry). In protocol I, two sites received norepinephrine to reduce skin blood flow, while two sites received Ringer solution (control). All sites were maintained at 34°C. In protocol II, all sites received 28 mM sodium nitroprusside to equalize skin blood flow between sites before local cooling to 20°C (2 sites) or maintenance at 34°C (2 sites). In both protocols, individuals were then passively heated to increase core temperature ~1°C. Both decreased skin blood flow and decreased local temperature attenuated the slope of the SR to mean body temperature relationship (2.0 ± 1.2 vs. 1.0 ± 0.7 mg·cm(-2)·min(-1)·°C(-1) for the effect of decreased skin blood flow, P = 0.01; 1.2 ± 0.9 vs. 0.07 ± 0.05 mg·cm(-2)·min(-1)·°C(-1) for the effect of decreased local temperature, P = 0.02). Furthermore, local cooling delayed the onset of sweating (mean body temperature of 37.5 ± 0.4 vs. 37.6 ± 0.4°C, P = 0.03). These data demonstrate that local cooling attenuates sweating by independent effects of decreased skin blood flow and decreased local skin temperature.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Skin blood flow (means ± SD) during whole body passive heat stress at control and norepinephrine (NE)-treated sites. Skin blood flow was reduced at the NE site relative to the control site throughout heat stress. *P < 0.001 for control vs. NE site main effect.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Sweat rate (SR) (means ± SD) during whole body passive heat stress at control and NE-treated sites. *P = 0.02 for treatment site × ΔTc (change in core temperature) interaction, thus indicating that the increase in SR during heat stress was attenuated by reduced skin blood flow at the NE-treated site.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Slope of SR (means ± SD) to mean body temperature (T̄b) during heat stress between control and NE-treated sites. The slope of the SR-T̄b relation was significantly higher at the control relative to the NE site. *P = 0.01 vs. NE site.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Skin blood flow (means ± SD) during whole body passive heat stress at control and locally cooled sites. Despite sodium nitroprusside being administered at all sites, skin blood flow was slightly higher (18 perfusion units) at the cool relative to the control site near the end of heat stress. *P = 0.02 for control vs. cool site main effect.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
SR (means ± SD) during whole body passive heat stress at control (34°C) and locally cooled (20°C) sites. *P = 0.02 for treatment site × ΔTc interaction, thus indicating that the increase in SR during heat stress was attenuated at the locally cooled site.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Slope of SR (means ± SD) to T̄b during heat stress between control and locally cooled sites. The slope of the SR-T̄b relation was significantly higher at the control relative to the cool site. *P = 0.02 vs. cool site.
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