Treprostinil Iontophoresis Improves Digital Blood Flow during Local Cooling in Systemic Sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Severe Raynaud's syndrome and DUs are the most prevalent manifestations of SSc peripheral microvascular disease. We tested whether treprostinil iontophoresis on the finger pad of patients with SSc would improve digital blood flow during hand cooling. METHODS: Eleven patients with limited cutaneous SSc underwent a double-blinded iontophoresis of treprostinil (2.56 × 10(-4) M during two hours) and placebo (NaCl 0.9%) on two finger pads. Then, the hand was inserted for 30 minutes in a fenestrated cooling box at 8 °C, and skin blood flow was recorded continuously using LSCI. RESULTS: During the local cooling, CVC was significantly higher at the treprostinil site than at the placebo site and remained higher 30 minutes after the test. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with SSc, digital treprostinil iontophoresis shifts skin blood flow upward during local cooling of the hand and during the initial rewarming phase. Digital treprostinil iontophoresis should now be tested in larger scale studies.

Prostanoids are not involved in postocclusive reactive hyperaemia in human skin.

Several mediators contribute to postocclusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH) in the skin, including sensory nerves and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors. The main objective of this study was to investigate the specific involvement of prostanoids in human skin PORH. We tested the effect of the inhibition of cyclo-oxygenases (COX) by 4 mm ketoprofen, infused through microdialysis fibers inserted into the healthy volunteers forearm skin, following 5 min brachial artery occlusion. Skin microvascular blood flux was recorded using two-dimensional Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging. Maximal cutaneous vascular conductance (CVCmax ) was obtained following the perfusion of 29 mm sodium nitroprusside. A systematic review of the effects of COX inhibitors on skin peak PORH was also performed. We observed no significant difference between ketoprofen and placebo for the PORH peak (78 ± 8 and 71 ± 19% CVCmax , respectively) and area under the curve (2951 ± 721 and 2490 ± 936% CVCmax .s). A meta-analysis showed a substantial heterogeneity between studies, with overall a neutral effect of COX inhibition on peak PORH. Cyclo-oxygenase inhibition does not alter skin PORH, suggesting no involvement of prostanoids in cutaneous postocclusive vasodilatation in healthy humans.

Cutaneous iontophoresis of treprostinil, a prostacyclin analog, increases microvascular blood flux in diabetic malleolus area.

Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most common and serious complications of diabetes mellitus. Few drugs are effective in enhancing the healing of microvascular skin ulcers. The main objective of the present study was to determine whether iontophoresis of treprostinil, a prostacyclin analog, increases skin microvascular blood flux in the malleolus area of healthy subjects and diabetic patients. We recruited 12 healthy subjects and 12 type 2 diabetic patients. Cathodal iontophoresis (40mC/cm²) of treprostinil 250µM and NaCl 0.9% was performed in the malleolus area. Skin hyperemia was quantified using non-invasive laser speckle contrast imaging, and expressed as the area under the curve (AUC) of cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC). In healthy controls and diabetic patients, treprostinil 250µM induced a significant increase in CVC compared with NaCl (for diabetic patients, AUC0-6h was 19970±8697; versus 2893±5481%BL.min, respectively; P=0.002). In both groups, the peak flux was obtained between 30min and 1h after the end of treprostinil iontophoresis and flux remained higher than baseline up to 6h after ending of iontophoresis. No significant side-effect occurred. Cutaneous iontophoresis of 250µM treprostinil increases microvascular blood flux in the malleolus area in healthy volunteers and diabetic patients, without inducing systemic or local side-effects. Treprostinil cathodal iontophoresis should be further investigated as a new local therapy for diabetic ulcers.

Involvement of cytochrome epoxygenase metabolites in cutaneous postocclusive hyperemia in humans.

Several mediators contribute to postocclusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) of the skin, including sensory nerves and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors. The main objective of our study was to investigate the specific contribution of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids in human skin PORH. Eight healthy volunteers were enrolled in two placebo-controlled experiments. In the first experiment we studied the separate and combined effects of 6.5 mM fluconazole, infused through microdialysis fibers, and lidocaine/prilocaine cream on skin PORH following 5 min arterial occlusion. In the second experiment we studied the separate and combined effects of 6.5 mM fluconazole and 10 mM N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA). Skin blood flux was recorded using two-dimensional laser speckle contrast imaging. Maximal cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC(max)) was obtained following 29 mM sodium nitroprusside perfusion. The PORH peak at the placebo site averaged 66 ± 11%CVC(max). Compared with the placebo site, the peak was significantly lower at the fluconazole (47 ± 10%CVC(max); P < 0.001), lidocaine (29 ± 10%CVC(max); P < 0.001), and fluconazole + lidocaine (30 ± 10%CVC(max); P < 0.001) sites. The effect of fluconazole on the area under the curve was more pronounced. In the second experiment, the PORH peak was significantly lower at the fluconazole site, but not at the l-NMMA or combination site, compared with the placebo site. In addition to sensory nerves cytochrome epoxygenase metabolites, putatively epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, play a major role in healthy skin PORH, their role being more important in the time course rather than the peak.