Exercise-induced vasodilation in healthy males: A marker of reduced endothelial function.
OBJECTIVE
Reduced arterial vasodilatatory capacity is a marker of coronary heart disease. The aim was to investigate if the difference between the vasodilatory response before and after exercise, as assessed by non-invasive methodology, is related to endothelial and inflammatory biomarkers.


METHODS
Post-ischemic hyperemia after 5 min of arterial occlusion was examined before and after a bicycle test with strain-gauge plethysmography (measuring peak reactive hyperemia in the forearm) and peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT hyperemia ratio: measuring pulse waves in the index finger relative to the contra-lateral index finger) in 30 healthy males. A low PAT hyperemia ratio or a low peak reactive hyperemia reflects endothelial dysfunction. Inflammatory and endothelial biomarkers were assessed.


RESULTS
A low peak reactive hyperemia and a low PAT hyperemia ratio before the bicycle test was associated with a high percentage increase in peak reactive hyperemia after exercise (r = - 0.68, p < 0.001; r = - 0.35, p = 0.06, respectively). Asymmetric dimethylarginine and interleukin-10 were associated with the percentage increase in peak reactive hyperemia in multiple linear regression analyses (β: 165 (confidence interval [CI], 34-296), p = 0.02; β: 19 (CI, - 0.5-39), p = 0.06, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The difference in the vasodilatory response before and after exercise, as assessed by non-invasive methodology, is related to endothelial and inflammatory biomarkers in healthy males.
Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Norway.
Torgeir
T
Wethal
Ragnhild
R
Røysland
Omland
O
Torbjørn
John
J
Kjekshus
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010992:Plethysmography, Impedance / Q000379:methods; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D016753:Interleukin-10; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine
endothelial function; inflammatory markers; peripheral arterial tonometry; strain-gauge plethysmography