Effect of Prostaglandin E₁ on Forearm Blood Flow

Abstract

In nine healthy male volunteers, the effect on forearm blood flow of infusions of prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁) in the brachial artery was studied by means of strain-gauge plethysmography. PGE₁ invariably caused a rapid local increase in blood flow with doses of 10–⁵—10–⁴ μg · min^-1 · kg^-1. With 10–² μg · min^-1 · kg^-1 of PGE₁, the forearm blood flow increased to an average of 30 ml · min^-1 · 100 ml^-1 (range 15–43). The PGE₁-induced vasodilatation was not blocked by atropine or propranolol, but could be abolished by simultaneous infusion of noradrenaline.

Key Words:

• Blood flow
• intra-arterial infusion
• noradrenaline
• prostaglandin E₁
• vasodilatation