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Intradermal Microdialysis: An Approach to Investigating Novel Mechanisms of Microvascular Dysfunction in Humans

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Sex differences in postsynaptic sweating and cutaneous vasodilation.

Daniel Gagnon¹, Craig G Crandall, Glen P Kenny

¹Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.

Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)

|November 17, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Females exhibit lower sweating responses to stimuli due to peripheral factors, not central control. This study reveals sex differences in sudomotor activity but not in skin blood flow regulation.

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Area of Science:

Physiology
Thermoregulation
Human Physiology

Background:

Females display reduced sudomotor thermosensitivity during exercise compared to males.
The underlying mechanisms for this difference, particularly peripheral contributions, remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if peripheral modulation of sweating contributes to lower sudomotor thermosensitivity in females.
To examine sex differences in sweating and cutaneous vasodilation responses to pharmacological stimuli and passive heating.

Main Methods:

12 males and 12 females received intradermal microdialysis of acetylcholine (ACh), methylcholine (MCh), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP).
Dose-response relationships for sweating and cutaneous vasodilation were assessed.
Sex differences in heat loss responses were evaluated during passive heating to determine onset threshold and thermosensitivity.

Main Results:

Sweating responses to ACh and MCh differed significantly between sexes, with females showing lower maximum sweating rates.
Sudomotor thermosensitivity during passive heating was lower in females.
No significant sex differences were observed in cutaneous vasodilation responses to ACh, SNP, or passive heating.

Conclusions:

Peripheral factors modulate sudomotor activity differently in females, contributing to lower sweating responses.
Cutaneous vasodilation during heat stress is not affected by sex.
These findings highlight sex-specific regulation of sweating mechanisms.