Key pointsr Previous studies implicate nitric oxide (NO) in the control of sweating during exercise in the heat; however, it is unclear whether cyclooxygenase (COX) is also involved.r We demonstrated that exercise-induced sweating at a moderate heat production (400 W, ß40% V O 2 max ) was similarly reduced when COX and NO synthase were inhibited separately and in combination.r Alternatively, inhibiting COX and/or NO synthase did not influence exercise-induced sweating at a high heat production (700 W, ß70%V O 2 max ).r We show that both COX and NO are involved in sweating during exercise at moderate heat production and that the effects may not be independent. However, roles for COX and NO are less evident when heat production is elevated.r The results lead to better understanding of the mechanisms of sweating and indicate that COX inhibitors (e.g. aspirin) may impair core body temperature regulation and thereby increase the risk of heat-related illness.Abstract Our recent work implicated nitric oxide (NO) in the control of sweating during intermittent exercise; however, it is unclear if cyclooxygenase (COX) is also involved. On separate days, ten healthy young (24 ± 4 years) males cycled in the heat (35°C). Two 30 min exercise bouts were performed at either a moderate (400 W, moderate heat load) or high (700 W, high heat load) rate of metabolic heat production and were followed by 20 and 40 min of recovery, respectively. Forearm sweating (ventilated capsule) was evaluated at four skin sites that were continuously perfused via intradermal microdialysis with: (1) lactated Ringer solution (Control), (2) 10 mM ketorolac (a non-selective COX inhibitor), (3) 10 mM N G -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; a non-selective NO synthase inhibitor) or (4) a combination of 10 mM ketorolac + 10 mM L-NAME. During the last 5 min of the first exercise at moderate heat load, forearm sweating (mg min −1 cm −2 ) was equivalently reduced with ketorolac (0.54 ± 0.08), L-NAME (0.55 ± 0.07) and ketorolac+L-NAME (0.56 ± 0.08) compared to Control (0.67 ± 0.06) (all P < 0.05). Similar results were obtained for the second exercise at moderate heat load (all P < 0.05). However, forearm sweating was similar between the four sites during exercise at high heat load and during recovery regardless of exercise intensity (all P > 0.05). We show that (1) although both COX and NO modulate forearm sweating during intermittent exercise bouts in the heat at a moderate heat load, the effects are not additive, and (2) the contribution of both enzymes to forearm sweating is less evident during intermittent exercise when the heat load is high and during recovery.

yasu T. Comparison of hyperthermic hyperpnea elicited during rest and submaximal, moderate-intensity exercise. J Appl Physiol 104: 998-1005, 2008. First published January 3, 2008 doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00146.2007.-We tested the hypothesis that, in humans, hyperthermic hyperpnea elicited in resting subjects differs from that elicited during submaximal, moderate-intensity exercise. In the rest trial, hot-water legs-only immersion and a waterperfused suit were used to increase esophageal temperature (T es) in 19 healthy male subjects; in the exercise trial, T es was increased by prolonged submaximal cycling [50% peak O 2 uptake (V O2)] in the heat (35°C). Minute ventilation (V E), ventilatory equivalent for V O2 (V E/V O2) and CO2 output (V E/V CO2), tidal volume (VT), and respiratory frequency (f) were plotted as functions of T es. In the exercise trial, V E increased linearly with increases (from 37.0 to 38.7°C) in Tes in all subjects; in the rest trial, 14 of the 19 subjects showed a Tes threshold for hyperpnea (37.8 Ϯ 0.5°C). Above the threshold for hyperpnea, the slope of the regression line relating V E and Tes was significantly greater for the rest than the exercise trial. Moreover, the slopes of the regression lines relating V E/V O2, V E/V CO2, and Tes were significantly greater for the rest than the exercise trial. The increase in V E reflected increases in VT and f in the rest trial, but only f in the exercise trial, after an initial increase in ventilation due to VT. Finally, the slope of the regression line relating Tes and VT or f was significantly greater for the rest than the exercise trial. These findings indicate that hyperthermic hyperpnea does indeed differ, depending on whether one is at rest or exercising at submaximal, moderate intensity. thermoregulation; evaporative heat loss; ventilatory pattern IN MANY SPECIES OF MAMMALS and birds, an elevation in body temperature stimulates ventilation and increases evaporative heat loss for thermoregulation with a two-phase panting response (26,33). In animals such as the sheep and dog, this panting response can include two distinct patterns of breathing, often referred to as first-and second-phase panting (7,12,13,26,33). In the first phase, respiratory frequency (f) is maximized, while tidal volume (VT) is minimized, and arterial blood gases are not perturbed (33). The second phase is only evident with an increase in core temperature, and VT and f are increased, so that alveolar ventilation is increased, resulting in hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis (33). In 1905, Haldane (11) was the first to report that hyperthermia also increases ventilation in humans. The recent review by White (33) suggested that since increased ventilation by hyperthermia in humans increases alveolar ventilation so that respiratory alkalosis occurs, a hyperthermia-induced increase in ventilation in humans is likely to be the second phase of panting. However, the mechanisms and the physiological significance of this response in humans are not fully understood.When body tem...

Cutaneous hyperemia in response to rapid skin local heating to 42°C has been used extensively to assess microvascular function. However, the response is dependent on both nitric oxide (NO) and endothelial-derived hyperpolarizing factors (EDHFs), and increases cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) to ∼90-95% maximum in healthy subjects, preventing the study of potential means to improve cutaneous function. We sought to identify an improved protocol for isolating NO-dependent dilation. We compared nine heating protocols (combinations of three target temperatures: 36°C, 39°C, and 42°C, and three rates of heating: 0.1°C/s, 0.1°C/10 s, 0.1°C/min) in order to select two protocols to study in more depth (protocol 1; N = 6). Then, CVC was measured at four microdialysis sites receiving: 1) lactated Ringer solution (Control), 2) 50-mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) to inhibit EDHFs, 3) 20-mM nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to inhibit NO synthase, and 4) TEA+L-NAME, in response to local heating either to 39°C at 0.1°C/s (protocol 2; N = 10) or 42°C at 0.1°C/min (protocol 3; N = 8). Rapid heating to 39°C increased CVC to 43.1 ± 5.2%CVCmax (Control), which was attenuated by L-NAME (11.4 ± 2.8%CVCmax; P < 0.001) such that 82.8 ± 4.2% of the plateau was attributable to NO. During gradual heating, 81.5 ± 3.3% of vasodilation was attributable to NO at 40°C, but at 42°C only 32.7 ± 7.8% of vasodilation was attributable to NO. TEA+L-NAME attenuated CVC beyond L-NAME at temperatures >40°C (43.4 ± 4.5%CVCmax at 42°C, P < 0.001 vs. L-NAME), suggesting a role of EDHFs at higher temperatures. Our findings suggest local heating to 39°C offers an improved approach for isolating NO-dependent dilation and/or assessing perturbations that may improve microvascular function.

We tested the hypotheses that arterial baroreflex (ABR) control over muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in humans does not remain constant throughout a bout of leg cycling ranging in intensity from very mild to exhausting. ABR control over MSNA (burst incidence, burst strength and total MSNA) was evaluated by analysing the relationship between beat-to-beat spontaneous variations in diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) and MSNA in 15 healthy subjects at rest and during leg cycling in a seated position at five workloads: very mild (10 W), mild (82 ± 5.0 W), moderate (126 ± 10.2 W), heavy (156 ± 14.3 W), and exhausting (190 ± 21.2 W). The workload was incremented every 6 min. The linear relationships between DAP and MSNA variables were significantly shifted downward during very mild exercise, but then shifted progressively upward as exercise intensity increased. During heavy and exhausting exercise, moreover, the DAP-MSNA relationships were also significantly shifted rightward from the resting relationship. The sensitivity of ABR control over burst incidence and total MSNA was significantly lower during very mild exercise than during rest, and the sensitivity of the burst incidence control remained lower than the resting level at all higher exercise intensities. By contrast, the sensitivity of the total MSNA control recovered to the resting level during mild and moderate exercise, and was significantly increased during heavy and exhausting exercise (versus rest). We conclude that, in humans, ABR control over MSNA is not uniform throughout a leg cycling exercise protocol in which intensity was varied from very mild to exhausting. We suggest that this non-uniformity of ABR function is one of the mechanisms by which sympathetic and cardiovascular responses are matched to the exercise intensity.

We tested the hypothesis that hyperthermic hyperventilation in part reflects enhanced chemoreceptor ventilatory O 2 drive, and that the resultant hypocapnia attenuates ventilatory responses and/or middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity (MCAV mean ) in resting humans. Eleven healthy subjects were passively heated for 50-80 min, causing oesophageal temperature (T oes ) to increase by 1.6• C. During heating, minute ventilation (V E ) increased (P < 0.05), while end-tidal CO 2 pressure (P ET,CO 2 ) and MCAV mean declined. A hyperoxia test in which three breaths of hyperoxic air were inspired was performed once before heating and three times during the heating. When we observed hypocapnia (P ET,CO 2 below 40 mmHg), P ET,CO 2 was restored to the eucapnic level by adding 100% CO 2 to the inspired air immediately before the last two tests. Minute ventilation was significantly reduced by hyperoxia, and that reduction gradually increased with increasing T oes . However, the percentage decrease inV E from the normoxic level was small (20-29%) and unchanged during heating. When P ET,CO 2 was restored to eucapnic levels,V E was unchanged, but MCAV mean was partly restored to the level seen prior to heating (28.1% restoration at T oes 37.6• C and 38.1% restoration at T oes 38.0 • C). These findings suggest that although hyperthermia increases chemoreceptor ventilatory O 2 drive in resting humans, the relative contribution of the chemoreceptor ventilatory O 2 drive to hyperthermic hyperventilation is small (∼20%) and unaffected by increasing core temperature. Moreover, hypocapnia induced by hyperthermic hyperventilation reduces cerebral blood flow but not ventilatory responses.

New Findings r What is the central question of this study?Sweating during exercise in the heat is, in part, mediated through nitric oxide-dependent mechanisms. It is unclear whether ageing reduces nitric oxide-dependent sweating during exercise in the heat. r What is the main finding and its importance?Nitric oxide-dependent sweating during short bouts of exercise in the heat was observed in young men, but not in older adults. These findings show that age-related impairment in sweating may be associated with age-related reductions in nitric oxide-mediated sweating.Nitric oxide (NO) is a signalling molecule that contributes to the control of many physiological pathways, including the heat-loss response of skin vasodilatation. Recently, NO has been implicated in the control of sweating during exercise in young adults. We tested the hypothesis that ageing reduces NO-dependent sweating during exercise in the heat. Ten young (23 ± 3 years old) and 10 older men (64 ± 5 years old), matched for body surface area, performed three successive 15 min bouts of exercise (Ex1, Ex2 and Ex3) at the same rate of metabolic heat production (300 W m −2 ) in the heat (35°C, 20% relative humidity). Exercise periods were interspersed with 15 min recovery periods. Local sweat rate (ventilated capsule) was measured on two forearm skin sites, which were continuously perfused via intradermal microdialysis with 0.9% saline as control (CON) or 10 mm N G -nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), a non-selective NO synthase inhibitor. Local sweat rate at the end of Ex1 was lower in the CON conditions in the older versus young men (0.69 ± 0.19 versus 0.90 ± 0.17 mg min −1 cm −2 , P = 0.018). In the young men, local sweat rate was reduced in the l-NAME-treated conditions compared with the CON conditions at the end of Ex1 (0.67 ± 0.14 versus 0.90 ± 0.17 mg min −1 cm −2 , P = 0.004), Ex2 (0.78 ± 0.20 versus 1.03 ± 0.20 mg min −1 cm −2 , P = 0.013) and Ex3 (0.78 ± 0.20 versus 1.03 ± 0.21 mg min −1 cm −2 , P = 0.014). In the older men, there was no main effect of treatment conditions on local sweat rate (P = 0.537) such that local sweat rates in the l-NAME-treated and CON conditions were similar (Ex1, 0.65 ± 0.20 versus 0.69 ± 0.19 mg min −1 cm −2 ; Ex2, 0.80 ± 0.27 versus 0.91 ± 0.29 mg min −1 cm −2 ; and Ex3, 0.84 ± 0.31 versus 0.94 ± 0.38 mg min −1 cm −2 ). We conclude that ageing attenuates the influence of NO in the control of local forearm sweating observed in young adults during short 15 min bouts of exercise in the heat. This mechanism may, in part, explain the age-related impairments in sweating.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) contributes to sweating and cutaneous vasodilation during exercise in younger adults. We hypothesized that endothelial NOS (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) mediate NOS-dependent sweating, whereas eNOS induces NOS-dependent cutaneous vasodilation in younger adults exercising in the heat. Further, aging may upregulate inducible NOS (iNOS), which may attenuate sweating and cutaneous vasodilator responses. We hypothesized that iNOS inhibition would augment sweating and cutaneous vasodilation in exercising older adults. Physically active younger (n = 12, 23 ± 4 yr) and older (n = 12, 60 ± 6 yr) adults performed two 30-min bouts of cycling at a fixed rate of metabolic heat production (400 W) in the heat (35°C). Sweat rate and cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) were evaluated at four intradermal microdialysis sites with: 1) lactated Ringer (control), 2) nNOS inhibitor (nNOS-I, NPLA), 3) iNOS inhibitor (iNOS-I, 1400W), or 4) eNOS inhibitor (eNOS-I, LNAA). In younger adults during both exercise bouts, all inhibitors decreased sweating relative to control, albeit a lower sweat rate was observed at iNOS-I compared with eNOS-I and nNOS-I sites (all P < 0.05). CVC at the eNOS-I site was lower than control in younger adults throughout the intermittent exercise protocol (all P < 0.05). In older adults, there were no differences between control and iNOS-I sites for sweating and CVC during both exercise bouts (all P > 0.05). We show that iNOS and eNOS are the main contributors to NOS-dependent sweating and cutaneous vasodilation, respectively, in physically active younger adults exercising in the heat, and that iNOS inhibition does not alter sweating or cutaneous vasodilation in exercising physically active older adults.

We tested the hypothesis that arterial baroreflex (ABR)-mediated beat-to-beat control over muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) is progressively modulated as orthostatic stress increases in humans, but that this control becomes impaired just before the onset of orthostatic syncope. In 17 healthy subjects, the ABR control over MSNA (burst incidence, burst strength and total MSNA) was evaluated by analysing the relationship between beat-to-beat spontaneous variations in diastolic blood pressure (DAP) and MSNA during supine rest (control) and during progressive, stepwise increases in lower body negative pressure (LBNP) that were incremented by −10 mmHg every 5 min until presyncope (nine subjects) or −60 mmHg was reached. (1) The linear relationships between DAP and burst strength and between DAP and total MSNA were shifted progressively upward as LBNP increased until the level at which syncope occurred. The relationship between DAP and burst incidence, however, gradually shifted upward from control only to LBNP = −30 mmHg; there was no further upward shift at higher LBNPs. (2) Although the slope of the relationship between DAP and burst strength and between DAP and total MSNA remained constant at all LBNPs tested, except at the level where syncope occurred, the slope of the relationship between DAP and burst incidence was reduced at LBNPs of −40 mmHg and higher (versus control). (3) In syncopal subjects, the slopes of the relationships between DAP and burst incidence, burst strength, and total MSNA were all substantially reduced during the 1-2 min period prior to the onset of syncope. Taken together, these results suggest baroreflex control over MSNA is progressively modulated as orthostatic stress increases, so that its sensitivity is substantially reduced during the period immediately preceding the severe hypotension associated with orthostatic syncope. The mechanisms by which blood pressure is maintained against the orthostatic stress caused by gravitational effects on the fluid distribution within the body are important issues in physiology, especially in humans who usually adopt an upright posture (Rowell, 1986). Peripheral vasoconstriction and increased heart rate (HR) are major cardiovascular adjustments to orthostatic stress (Rowell, 1986) and form part of the reflex response elicited via the carotid sinus and aortic baroreceptors (arterial baroreflex; ABR) and cardiopulmonary stretch receptors (cardiopulmonary baroreflex) (Zoller et al. 1972;Johnson et al.