A laser Doppler flowmeter was used to assess blood flow changes in habitu al smokers, as compared with nonsmokers, where members of both groups were young and healthy. Acute and chronic effects of cigarette smoking were meas ured by using the cutaneous postischemic reactive hyperemia test. Basic flow was recorded in four sites: forehead, postauricular, forearm, and finger.
Recovery time from reactive hyperemia was longer in habitual smokers than in nonsmokers. Peak flow during reactive hyperemia was significantly lower af ter smoking. Basic blood flow during smoking did not show significant varia tion in the sites tested. The authors conclude that skin microvasculature is influenced by acute and chronic effects of cigarette smoking in young subjects; they discuss some of the possible mechanisms and their implications.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Kannel WB, McGee D., Gordon T.: A general cardiovascular risk profile. The Framingham study. Am J Cardiol38:46-51, 1976.
2.
Agua C.: Cardiovascular variables, skin conductance and time estimation, changes after the administration of small doses of nicotine. Psychoopharm37:109-125, 1974
3.
Benowitz NL: Pharmacologic aspects of cigarette smoking and nicotine addiction . N Engl J Med319:1318-1330, 1988 .
4.
Waeber B., Schaller MD, Nussberger J., et al: Skin blood flow reduction induced by cigarette smoking. Role of vasopressin. Am J Physiol247:895-901, 1984.
5.
Caro CG, Lever MJ, Parker KH, et al: Effect of cigarette smoking on the pattern of arterial blood flow: Possible insight into mechanisms underlying the development of arteriosclerosis . Lancet2:11-13, 1987.
6.
Goodfield Mjd , Hume A., Rowell NR: The acute effects of cigarette smoking on cutaneous blood flow in smoking and nonsmoking subjects with and without Raynaud's phenomenon. Br J Rheumatol29:89-91, 1990.
7.
Muller PH, Imhof PR, Mauli D., et al: Human pharmacological investigations of a transdermal nicotine system. Meth FindExp Clin Pharmacol11:197-204, 1989.
8.
Suter T., Buzzi R., Battig K.: Cardiovascular effects of smoking cigarettes with different nicotine deliveries: A study using multilead-plethysmography. Psychopharm80:106-112, 1983.
9.
Richardson DR : Effects of habitual tobacco smoking on reactive hyperemia in human hand. Arch Environ Health40:114-119, 1985.
10.
Wennmalm A. : Cigarette smoking, prostaglandins and reactive hyperemia. Prostaglandins Med3: 321-326, 1979.
11.
Degani S., Abinader E., Eibschitz I., et al: Isometric exercise test for predicting gestational hypertension . Obstet Gynecol65:652-654, 1985.
12.
Weinstein L. , Janjan N., Droegenmuller W., et al: Forearm plethysmography in normotensive and hypertensive pregnant women. South Med J74:1230-1232, 1981.
13.
Low PA, Neuman C., Dyck P., et al: Evaluation of skin vasomotor reflexes by using laser-Doppler velocimetry, Mayo Clin Proc58:583-592, 1983.
Nagasaka T. , Hirata K., Nonomura T., et al: The effect of local heating on blood flow in the finger and the forearm skin. Can J Physiol Pharmacol65:1329-1332, 1987 .
16.
Tur E., Tur M., Mailbach HI, et al: Basal perfusion of the cutaneous microcirculation: Measurement as a function of anatomic position. J Invest Dermatol81:442-446, 1983.
17.
Bircher AJ, Guy RH, Maibach HI: Skin pharmacology and dermatology. In:Laser Doppler Flownetry , ed. by Shepherd AP, Oberg PA.Boston: Kluger Academic Publishers1990 pp 141-174.
18.
Altura BM: Role of prostaglandins and histamine in reactive hyperemia: In-vivo studies on single mesenteric arterioles. Postgrad Med1:323-331, 1978.
Tooke JE, Ostergren J., Lins PE, et al: Skin microvascular blood flow control in long duration diabetics with and without complications. Diabetes Re5:189-192, 1987.
21.
Auerbach OA , Hammond CE, Garfinkel L.: Thickening of walls of arterioles and small arteries in relation to age and smoking habits. N Engl J Med278:980-984, 1968.
22.
Riefkohl R. , Wolfe JA, Cox EB, et al: Association between cutaneous occlusive vascular disease, cigarette smoking, and skin slough after rhytidectomy. Plast Reconstr Surg77:592-595, 1986.
23.
Davis J., Shelton L., Watanabe I., et al: Passive smoking affects endothelium and platelets. Arch Intern Med149-386-389, 1989.
24.
Holbrook JH: Tobacco. In: Principles of Internal Medicine ed.11 , ed. by Braunwald E, Isselbacher KJ, Petersdorf RG, et al: New York: McGraw-Hill1988, p 856.
25.
Ahlsten G. Ewald V, Tuvermo T.: Impaired vascular reactivity in newborn infants of smoking mothers. Acta Paediatr Scand76:248-253, 1987.
26.
Sarin CL, Austin JC, Nickel WO: Effects of smoking on digital blood flow velocity. JAMA229:1327-1328, 1974.
27.
Richardson D.: Effects of tobacco smoke inhalation on capillary blood flow in human skin. Arch Environ Health42:19-25, 1987.
28.
Reus WF, Robson MC, Zachary L., et al: Acute effects of tobacco smoking on blood flow in the cutaneous microcirculation. Br J Plast Surg37:213-215, 1984.
29.
Cryer PE, Haymond MW, Santiago JV, et al: Norepinephrine and epinephrine release and adrenergic mediation of smoking associated hemodynamic and metabolic events. N Engl J Med295:573-577, 1976.
30.
Lipowsky HH , Kovalcheck S., Zweifach BW: The distribution of blood rheological parameters in the microcirculation of cat mesentery. Circ Res43:738-749, 1978.
31.
Busse R., Pohl V., Kellner C., et al: Endothelial cells are involved in the vasodilatory response to hypoxia. Pflügers Arch397:78-80, 1983.
32.
Chaman LS, Austin JC, Nickel WO: Effects of smoking on digital blood flow in the human calf during tobacco smoking. Circulation28:932-937, 1963.
33.
Coffman JD, Javett SL: Blood flow in human calf during tobacco smoking. Circulation28:932-937, 1963.
34.
Ague C.: Cardiovascular variables, skin conductance and time estimation: Changes after the administration of small doses of nicotine. Psychopharm37:109-125, 1974.
35.
Reus WF, Robson MC, Zachary L., et al: Acute effects of tobacco smoking on blood flow in the cutaneous micro-circulation. Br J Plast Surg37:213-215, 1984.
