A novel effective method for the assessment of microvascular function in male patients with coronary artery disease: a pilot study using laser speckle contrast imaging.
Evaluation of microvascular endothelial function is essential for investigating the pathophysiology and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Although laser speckle contrast imaging technology is well accepted as a noninvasive methodology for assessing microvascular endothelial function, it has never been used to compare male patients with coronary artery disease with male age-matched healthy controls. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine whether laser speckle contrast imaging could be used to detect differences in the systemic microvascular functions of patients with established cardiovascular disease (n=61) and healthy age-matched subjects (n=24). Cutaneous blood flow was assessed in the skin of the forearm using laser speckle contrast imaging coupled with the transdermal iontophoretic delivery of acetylcholine and post-occlusive reactive hyperemia. The maximum increase in skin blood flow induced by acetylcholine was significantly reduced in the cardiovascular disease patients compared with the control subjects (74 vs 116%; P<0.01). With regard to post-occlusive reactive hyperemia-induced vasodilation, the patients also presented reduced responses compared to the controls (0.42±0.15 vs 0.50±0.13 APU/mmHg; P=0.04). In conclusion, laser speckle contrast imaging can identify endothelial and microvascular dysfunctions in male individuals with cardiovascular disease. Thus, this technology appears to be an efficient non-invasive technique for evaluating systemic microvascular and endothelial functions, which could be valuable as a peripheral marker of atherothrombotic diseases in men.
Laboratório de Atividade Física e Promoção è Saúde, Departamento de Desporto Coletivo, Instituto de Educação Física e Desportos, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
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JP
Borges
Laboratório de Atividade Física e Promoção è Saúde, Departamento de Desporto Coletivo, Instituto de Educação Física e Desportos, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.|Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
G O
GO
Lopes
Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
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Verri
Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
M P
MP
Coelho
Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
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PM
Nascimento
Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
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DA
Kopiler
Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.|Laboratório de Investigação Cardiovascular, Departamento Osório de Almeida, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
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Tibirica
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003287:Contrast Media; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D003287:Contrast Media