title: Methysergide reduces nonnutritive blood flow in normal and scalded skin.
abstract: Methysergide is a serotonin antagonist and has been demonstrated to reduce wound blood flow and edema formation. We have determined the effect of methysergide on protein kinetics in normal and scalded skin of anesthetized rabbits. L-[ring-(13)C(6)]- or L-[ring-(2)H(5)]phenylalanine was used to reflect skin protein kinetics by use of an ear model, and L-[1-(13)C]leucine was used to reflect whole body protein kinetics. The results were that infusion of methysergide (2-3 mg. kg(-1). h(-1)) reduced the blood flow rate in normal skin by 50% without changing skin or whole body protein kinetics. After scald injury on the ear, administration of methysergide for 48 h reduced the weight of scalded ears (43 +/- 4 vs. 30 +/- 5 g, P < 0.01) and ear blood flow rate (42.6 +/- 4.9 vs. 5.8 +/- 1.0 ml. 100 g(-1). min(-1), P < 0.0001) and did not change wound protein kinetics. Methysergide reduced arteriovenous shunting and maintained inward phenylalanine transport from the blood to the skin pool. Using the microsphere technique, we found that the infusion of methysergide decreased blood perfusion by 33-36% in both normal and scalded ear skin. We conclude that methysergide administration reduces nonnutritive, as opposed to nutritive, blood flow in normal and scalded skin.
authors.affiliation: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Burns Hospital for Children, and Departments of Surgery and Anesthesiology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550, USA.
authors.forename: X J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Irtun
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Wolfe
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004423:Ear / Q000473:pathology; D007930:Leucine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D008784:Methysergide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008863:Microspheres; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011817:Rabbits; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D010649:Phenylalanine; D007930:Leucine; D008784:Methysergide