Iontophoretic study of adrenergic and cholinergic skin vessel reactivity in normal ageing and Alzheimer's disease.
Iontophoresis was used to evaluate the peripheral reactivity of phenylephrine (alpha 1-agonist), isoproterenol (beta-agonist) and metacholine (cholinergic agonist) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The cutaneous responses--erythema and blanching--were visually recorded. Healthy personnel, medical students and patients with various dermatoses served as controls. A reduced response towards the adrenergic agonists was seen in AD. The reduced sensitivity was highly significant for the beta-agonist isoproterenol (p less than 0.001), in contradistinction the metacholine response did not differ between AD and age-matched controls. Furthermore, increasing age did not seem to significantly influence the cutaneous responses in mentally healthy controls. Thus, a reduced peripheral adrenergic reactivity was observed in the patients suffering from AD.
Hörnqvist
R
R
University of Umeå, Sweden.
Henriksson
R
R
Bäck
O
O
Bucht
G
G
Winblad
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001337:Autonomic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007478:Iontophoresis; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008688:Methacholine Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects*
D001337:Autonomic Agents; D008688:Methacholine Compounds; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D010656:Phenylephrine; D007545:Isoproterenol