Skin temperature and subcutaneous adipose blood flow in man

The abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue blood flow (ATBF) was measured bilaterally by the 133Xe washout method. At one side of the skin (epicutaneous) temperature was varied with a temperature blanket, the other side served as control. There was a significant (P less than 0.001) positive correlation between skin temperature and ATBF. In the range from 25 to 37 degrees CATBF increased 9% of the control flow on average per centigrade increase in skin temperature. ATBF at the control side was uninfluenced by the contralateral variations in skin temperature. Although no better correlation could be demonstrated between ATBF and subcutaneous temperature than between ATBF and skin temperature, arguments are presented in favour of the hypothesis that ATBF is influenced by the subcutaneous temperature rather than via reflexes from the skin. Infiltration of the 133Xe depots with 20 microgram histamine increased ATBF 6 fold on average.