title: Low-pressure sequential compression of lower limbs enhances forearm skin blood flow.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether forearm skin blood flow could be improved when a multilayer pulsatile inflatable suit was applied at a low pressure to the lower limbs and abdomen. We hypothesized that a non-invasive purely mechanical stimulation of the lower limbs could induce remote forearm blood flow modifications.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pulsatile suit induced a sequential compartmentalized low compression (65 mmHg), which was synchronized with each diastole of the cardiac cycle with each phase evolving centripetally (lower limbs to abdomen). Modifications of the forearm skin blood flow were continuously recorded by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) at baseline and during the pulsatile suit application. Endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilations of the forearm skin microcirculation were measured by LDF in response to a local transdermal iontophoretic application of acetylcholine (ACh-test) and to hyperthermia (hyperT- test).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four healthy volunteers, 12 men and 12 women (43±14 years) were included in the study. LDF responses increased 1) under pulsatile suit (97±106%, p.
authors.affiliation: . guy.amah@aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amah
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voicu
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonnin
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kubis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D048228:Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*