title: Reproducibility of dorsal hand vein responses to phenylephrine and prostaglandin F2 alpha using the dorsal hand vein compliance method.
abstract: Assessment of drug-induced venodilation by the dorsal hand vein compliance method requires stable constriction of the vein. This study was designed to investigate intra- and intersubject reproducibility of the venous preconstriction technique in response to phenylephrine and prostaglandin F2 alpha and to determine the influence of basal vein size. Twelve healthy male nonsmokers participated in a prospective cross-over study. Inter- and intrasubject variability was tested in response to phenylephrine and PGF2 alpha on different study days in the same hand vein. The dose of the respective constrictor causing approximately 80% constriction of the vein (ED80) was determined and infused for another 100 minutes. Actual vein size was measured every 5 minutes. Coefficient of variation and regression analyses were performed to analyze influence of vessel size on ED80 of the respective constrictor. Adjusted constriction levels were stable and well reproducible in all subjects. The intersubject coefficient of variation of ED80 ranged from 0.9% to 6.7% for phenylephrine and from 0.9% to 6.9% for PGF2 alpha. Whereas responses to phenylephrine were independent of basal vein diameter, there was a positive correlation between ED80 of PGF2 alpha and basal vein size. Thus, the hand vein compliance method is a suitable method to study dilatory responses in phenylephrine- or PGF2 alpha-constricted veins with considerable interindividual but small intraindividual variability. However, in such studies, phenylephrine appears to be a more reliable tool than PGF2 alpha.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Faculty of the University of Technology Dresden, Fiedlerstrasse 27, D-01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grossmann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dobrev
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Francke
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ravens
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kirch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003187:Compliance; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006225:Hand / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014680:Veins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine; D015237:Dinoprost