Failure of prostaglandins to modulate the time course of blood flow during dynamic forearm exercise in humans

The time course and magnitude of increases in brachial artery mean blood velocity (MBV; pulsed Doppler), diameter (D; echo Doppler), mean perfusion pressure (MPP; Finapres), shear rate (gamma = 8.MBV/D), and forearm blood flow (FBF = MBV.pi r2) were assessed to investigate the effect that prostaglandins (PGs) have on the hyperemic response on going from rest to rhythmic exercise in humans. While supine, eight healthy men performed 5 min of dynamic handgrip exercise by alternately raising and lowering a 4.4-kg weight (approximately 10% maximal voluntary contraction) with a work-to-rest cycle of 1:1 (s/s). When the exercise was performed with the arm positioned below the heart, the rate of increase in MBV and gamma was faster compared with the same exercise performed above the heart. Ibuprofen (Ibu; 1,200 mg/day, to reduce PG-induced vasodilation) and placebo were administered orally for 2 days before two separate testing sessions in a double-blind manner. Resting heart rate was reduced in Ibu (52 +/- 3 beats/min) compared with placebo (57 +/- 3 beats/min) (P < 0.05) without change to MPP. With placebo, D increased in both arm positions from approximately 4.3 mm at rest to approximately 4.5 mm at 5 min of exercise (P < 0.05). This response was not altered with Ibu (P > 0.05). Ibu did not alter the time course of MBV or forearm blood flow (P > 0.05) in either arm position. The gamma was significantly greater in Ibu vs. placebo at 30 and 40 s of above the heart exercise and for all time points after 25 s of below the heart exercise (P < 0.05). Because PG inhibition altered the time course of gamma at the brachial artery, but not FBF, it was concluded that PGs are not essential in regulating the blood flow responses to dynamic exercise in humans.