PERIPHERAL MACROCIRCULATION AND MICROCIRCULATION IN SHORT-TERM INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS - THE ROLE OF PROSTAGLANDINS IN EARLY HEMODYNAMIC-CHANGES

To determine whether vasodilator prostaglandins are involved in the pe ripheral hyperperfusion observed in patients with short-term insulin-d ependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), forearm and skin blood flow were st udied before and after cyclooxygenase inhibition. Skin nutritive (CBV: capillary blood-cell velocity) and thermoregulatory (LDF: laser-Doppl er fluxmetry), and forearm (muscle) blood flow (FBF) were measured bef ore and after 500 mg acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) infused intravenously in 14 short-term IDDM patients and 22 healthy control subjects. In the IDDM patients, baseline LDF (median: 27 (19-35); interquartile range) vs. 17 (15-23) pu) and FBF (3.4 (2.5-4.1) vs. 2.6 (2.2-2.9) ml 100 ml -1 min-1) were increased, while CBV (0.70 (0.40-1.33) vs. 0.69 (0.41-0 .96) mm s-1) was unchanged compared to healthy controls. ASA infusion had similar effects on baseline CBV, LDF, and FBF in patients and cont rols. In eight of the control subjects the role of prostaglandins in t he regulation of basal peripheral blood flow was studied before and af ter ASA and placebo infusion. The changes in baseline CBV, LDF, and FB F were similar after ASA and placebo infusion in healthy controls. In conclusion, in short-term IDDM patients, increased skin thermoregulato ry and forearm (muscle) blood flow are probably not related to vasodil ator prostaglandins. Furthermore, prostaglandins are not likely to be involved in regulating basal peripheral blood flow in healthy man.