Blood endothelin-1 and cold-induced vasodilation in patients with primary Raynauld's phenomenon and workers with vibration-induced white finger.
OBJECTIVE
Cold water-immersion induces vasoconstriction with an elevation of blood endothelin-1, which is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP). However, physiological involvement of endothelin-1 in cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) remains to be elucidated.


METHODS
We monitored changes of finger blood flow during cold water (10 degrees C) immersion and assayed blood endothelin-1 in 7 PRP patients and 7 workers with vibration-induced white finger (VWF) and in the respective control subjects.


RESULTS
While significant reductions in finger blood flow at 2 min after the immersion were observed in PRP patients and VWF workers, its elevation at 4 min, which was considered to reflect CIVD, was recognized only in PRP patients. In healthy controls, blood endothelin-1 increased at 4 min and returned to the basal level immediately after the immersion. The increase in blood endothelin-1 at 4 min in PRP patients was greater than that in controls, and continued even after the immersion. Conversely, the increase neither at 4 min nor after immersion was seen in VWF workers. Local vascular changes produced by repetitive vibration may be responsible for the attenuated CIVD and unchanged blood endothelin-1 during cold water-immersion in VWF workers.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showing elevated blood endothelin-1 during and after immersion in PRP contrast with that in VWF suggesting that endothelin-1 is related to sympathetic hyperactivity which is more involved in PRP rather than VWF. It seems unlikely that endothelin-1 is functionally or directly associated with CIVD.
Nakamura
H
H
Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan. hiro-n@po.incl.ne.jp
Matsuzaki
I
I
Hatta
K
K
Nagase
H
H
Nobokuni
Y
Y
Kambayashi
Y
Y
Ogino
K
K
D000328:Adult; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D007101:Immersion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*; D014732:Vibration / Q000009:adverse effects
D019332:Endothelin-1