Reflex cardiovascular responses to cold exposure of the face or foot.

Six subjects performed a breathholding maneuver during facial cooling and immersed their foot in cold water, without drugs and after the intravenous administration of propranolol plus atropine (P + A). Cardiac interval (INT), mean interval for longest consecutive 5 cycles (L5INT/5); systolic time intervals including electromechanical systole (EMS), left ventricular ejection time (LVET), pre-ejection period (PEP), and PEP/LVET; and systolic (SP) and diastolic pressures (DP) were monitored during supine rest, during apnea with a plastic bag of ice water on the face, and from 16-30th and 46-60th sec of 1-min periods of foot immersion in 4 degrees C water. P+A administration induced reduction in INT, L5INT/5, and LVET and increase in PEP, PEP/LVET, and DP. INT, L5INT/5, PEP, SP, and DP increased during facial cooling without drugs. Only the increases in INT and L5INT/5 were abolished by P+A and thus considered to result from reflexes mediated by vagal or sympathetic outflow to the heart. Reductions in INT, L5INT/5, EMS, PEP, and PEP/LVET at 16-30 sec of foot immersion without drugs were not observed after P+A; 46-60 sec responses neared resting values, however, with and without P+A. These results indicate an initial cardiac reflex response to foot immersion may be overpowered by the ventricular afterload and the foot immersion may be overpowered by the ventricular afterload and the baroreceptor response due to the increased arterial pressure.

Cardiovascular response to cooling of limbs determined by noninvasive methods.

Cold, even local exposure to a limited portion of the body, is a stress to man which elevates arterial pressure, thereby intensifying cardiac workload. The sequence of cardiac events following local cooling was noninvasively studied by observation of changes in cardiac interval, left ventricular ejection time, time from A wave of electrocardiogram to the peak of the dD/dt of the carotid pulse wave (which includes pre-ejection period), and amplitude of the pulse wave from a photoelectric cell on the earlobe, along with arterial pressures. Twelve subjects, aged 22--41 years, exposed a hand or foot to cold water for 1 min while seated and while supine (four experiements each). Results indicate that arterial pressure is monotonically elevated throughout the minute of exposure. Cardiac intervals are initially abbreviated, then return towards control. This may include an initial response to the cold, followed by a baroreflex at the heart. Subject posture and limb exposed also affect cardiac responses.