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. 1988 Sep;26(3):267–272. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1988.tb05276.x

The effect of prazosin on skin microcirculation as assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry.

F Khan 1, A D Struthers 1, V A Spence 1
PMCID: PMC1386538  PMID: 2846022

Abstract

1. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used in six normal volunteers to record changes in fingertip skin blood flow after the administration of prazosin to block postsynaptic alpha 1-adrenoceptors. 2. Prazosin (0.5 mg orally) did not alter systolic or diastolic blood pressure or heart rate. 3. Prazosin did significantly increase basal skin blood flow 2 h after its administration but this effect was no longer evident after contralateral hand warming. Prazosin markedly reduced the skin vasoconstrictor response to deep inspiration and to contralateral hand cooling. 4. This study suggests that postsynaptic alpha 1-adrenoceptors are involved in maintaining skin vasoconstrictor tone at rest and are also involved in the rapid skin vasoconstriction seen in response to a deep inspiration and to contralateral hand cooling.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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