Skeletal muscle vasodilatation during sympathoexcitation is not neurally mediated in humans.

Evidence for the existence of sympathetic vasodilator nerves in human skeletal muscle is controversial. Manoeuvres such as contralateral ischaemic handgripping to fatigue that cause vasoconstriction in the resting forearm evoke vasodilatation after local alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade, raising the possibility that both constrictor and dilator fibres are present. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this dilatation is neurally mediated.

Forearm sympathetic withdrawal and vasodilatation during mental stress in humans.

1. In humans, mental stress elicits vasodilatation in the muscle vascular beds of the forearm that may be neurally mediated. We sought to determine the extent to which this vasodilatation is due to sympathetic withdrawal, active neurogenic vasodilatation, or beta-adrenergically mediated vasodilatation.

Referral of patients with pain from pancreatic cancer for neurolytic celiac plexus block.

Objective: To assess whether patients with pancreatic cancer-associated pain living near a pain control center were more likely to undergo neurolytic celiac plexus block (NCPB) than those living at a distance and to determine the rationale of physicians at our institution for referring patients for NCPB.

Design: We retrospectively reviewed the frequency of use of NCPB in patients with pancreatic cancer and conducted an anonymous physician survey of referral patterns for NCPB for such patients.

Material And Methods: A prospective database of medical diagnoses and a clinical database at our institution were used to identify patients with pancreatic cancer within three geographic regions who were assessed during the inclusive years 1980 through 1989: group I ("local") = all patient with pancreatic cancer in Olmsted County, Minnesota; group II ("surrounding") and group III ("distant") = patients referred for pancreatic cancer evaluation who lived within 100 miles of our institution (excluding Olmsted County) or more than 100 miles from our institution, respectively.

Sympathetic modulation of blood flow and O2 uptake in rhythmically contracting human forearm muscles.

This study tested the effects of sympathetically mediated changes in blood flow to active muscles on muscle O2 uptake (VO2) in humans. Four minutes of graded (15-80% of maximum voluntary contraction, MVC) rhythmic handgrip exercise were performed. Forearm blood flow (FBF) (plethysmography) and deep vein O2 saturation were measured each minute.

Treatment of acute herpetic neuralgia. A case report and review of the literature.

Herpes zoster (shingles) is a viral infection that results from a reactivation of a dormant varicella zoster virus. It has been estimated that more than 300,000 new cases are seen in the United States each year. Several factors influence the incidence of infection, with increasing age being the most consistent.