Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to test the hypothesis that the beta-adrenergic
innervation of the human eccrine sweat gland facilitates greater sweat production
following heat acclimation. Eight healthy subjects (mean±SD age: 25.1±4.1 years, weight: 79.0±16.1 kg, and VO2max: 48.5±8.0 ml/kg/min) underwent active heat acclimation by walking at 40% of their VO2max for 8 days (90 min a day) in an environmental chamber (35.3±0.8 °C and 40.2±2.1% rH). To test the hypothesis, the adrenergic component of sweat gland innervation
was inhibited by continuously administering a 0.5% solution of the beta-adrenergic
antagonist propranolol via iontophoresis to a 5 cm2 area of one forearm during each 90-min exercise bout. The opposing control forearm
underwent iontophoresis with a saline solution. Following heat acclimation, mean sweat
rate in the inhibited and control forearm was 0.47±0.30 mg/cm2/min and 0.44±0.25 mg/cm2/min, respectively. Findings of the current study fail to support the hypothesis that
adrenergic innervation facilitates human eccrine sweat gland function during heat
acclimation, as no significant differences in sweating were observed. In light of
the above, the physiological significance of the dual cholinergic and adrenergic innervation
of the eccrine sweat gland has yet to be determined.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 18, 2012
Accepted:
May 30,
2012
Received in revised form:
May 29,
2012
Received:
January 19,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
