Acute Thermotherapy Prevents Impairments in Cutaneous Microvascular Function Induced by a High Fat Meal

Abstract EN

We tested the hypothesis that a high fat meal (HFM) would impair cutaneous vasodilation, while thermotherapy (TT) would reverse the detrimental effects.

Eight participants were instrumented with skin heaters and laser-Doppler (LD) probes and tested in three trials: control, HFM, and HFM + TT.

Participants wore a water-perfused suit perfused with 33°C (control and HFM) or 50°C (HFM + TT) water.

Participants consumed 1 g fat/kg body weight.

Blood samples were taken at baseline and two hours post-HFM.

Blood pressure was measured every 5–10 minutes.

Microvascular function was assessed via skin local heating from 33°C to 39°C two hours after HFM.

Cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) was calculated and normalized to maximal vasodilation (% C V C m a x ).

HFM had no effect on initial peak (48 ± 4 % C V C m a x ) compared to control (49 ± 4 % C V C m a x ) but attenuated the plateau (51 ± 4 % C V C m a x ) compared to control (63 ± 4 % C V C m a x , P < 0.001).

Initial peak was augmented in HFM + TT (66 ± 4 % C V C m a x ) compared to control and HFM (P < 0.05), while plateau (73 ± 3 % C V C m a x ) was augmented only compared to the HFM trial (P < 0.001).

These data suggest that HFM negatively affects cutaneous vasodilation but can be minimized by TT.