title: Effects of chronic cyclosporine. A treatment on the skin microcirculation of conscious rats.
abstract: We investigated capillary diameter and red blood cell velocity ("flying spot technique") in the skin of conscious rats treated for eight weeks with oral doses of Cyclosporine A (CyA, 30 mg/day) or placebo. For the intravital microscopic analysis (transmitted light), the depilated auricle was used as a model. The capillary diameter did not differ between CyA and controls (6.95 +/- 0.08 microns vs 6.95 +/- 0.09 microns, p greater than 0.05). However, the red blood cell velocity was significantly different (304 +/- 5 microns/s in CyA and 140 +/- 4 microns/s in controls, p less than 0.001). Additional experiments of our group phi, with isolated arteries revealed an impaired response to endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilators in the presence of an enhanced response to alpha adrenergic vasoconstriction in the CyA-treated rats. Thus, the increase of capillary red blood cell velocity in chronically CyA-treated rats may reflect an enhanced vascular tone of the precapillary circulation.
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer-Institute for Toxicology and Aerosol Research, Hannover, FRG.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hertel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bossaller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004431:Ear, External / Q000098:blood supply; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins