Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

NCT number NCT04271241
Other study ID # Stretching vasomotor response
Secondary ID
Status Completed
Phase N/A
First received
Last updated
Start date January 7, 2019
Est. completion date February 7, 2020

Study information

Verified date February 2020
Source University of Milan
Contact n/a
Is FDA regulated No
Health authority
Study type Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Acutely, during different bouts of passive stretching (PS), blood flow (Q ̇) and shear rate ( ) in the feeding artery of the stretched muscles increases during the first two elongations and then it reduces during the following bouts. This hyperemic response during the first two elongations is mediated by the local release of vasoactive molecules (e.g. nitric oxide, NO). This phenomenon disappears during the following elongations due to the NO and other vasoactive molecule depletion. The relaxation phase between stretching bouts, instead, is always characterized by hyperemia as results of stretch-induced peripheral resistances decrease. Whether chronic PS administration may influence vascular function is still a matter of investigation. The hypothesis is that repetitive PS-induced Q ̇ and changes may be an enough stimulus to provoke increments in NO bioavailability, thus improving vasomotor response.


Description:

Vasomotor response is an important marker of cardiovascular health and has been related to cardiovascular co-morbidity. An alteration of vasomotor response, indeed, often precedes an increase in arterial stiffness. By improving and/or maintaining this vascular function, therefore, plays a pivotal role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The overall control of the vasomotor response and, in turn, of blood flow distribution in the human body is regulated by two main mechanisms: a systemic control given by the sympathetic nervous system that acts on the arterial smooth muscle fibers causing vasoconstriction, and a local action of vasoactive molecules released by the endothelial cells, such as nitric oxide (NO), leading to vasodilation.

Recent studies report that acute passive stretching (PS), a well-established practice in rehabilitation and sport environments to increase range of motion, may influence the vasomotor response. Specifically, PS provokes two conflicting events: (i) a vasoconstriction with blood flow reduction in the feeding artery of the stretched muscle, triggered by the systemic increase in sympathetic neural tone due to the PS-induced stress on the muscle mechano- and metaboreceptors, and (ii) a vasodilation and subsequent increase in blood flow in the feeding artery due to the prevalence of local vasoactive factors release as a result of the stretch-induced stress applied to the vessel wall, which overwhelms the systemic sympathetic activation. Interestingly, throughout several stretch-shortening cycles, the first acute hyperemic response to stretch described above seems to progressively attenuate until its disappearance during the subsequent stretching cycles, possibly due to NO and other vasoactive molecules depletion.

The shortening phase in between two stretch bouts, instead, is always characterized by hyperemia due to a reduction in the peripheral vascular resistance after the stretch-induced vessels deformation. Possible explanation of these phenomena involves the shear rate, which is the frictional or drag force acting on the inner lumen of the vessels that can trigger a chain of reactions, possibly leading to higher endothelial NO-synthase activity. Continuous and repetitive increases in shear rate induced by PS have been observed to act as vascular training to modulate endothelium remodeling and to improve vasomotor response.

Interestingly, during an acute PS administration, a reduction in blood flow during stretching was described in the contralateral, no-stretched limb. Such a reduction was promptly recovered during the shortening phase. The authors suggested that this occurrence was induced by a systemic sympathetic-mediated vasoconstriction, which was activated by the stretch-induced mechanoreflex.

However, whether chronic PS administration may also affect the vasomotor response in the feeding artery of the contralateral muscle, which was not directly involved in the stretching maneuver, is still an open question.

Together with the changes in local control mechanisms, also possible PS-induced changes in the systemic autonomic control of blood flow has been reported (i.e., reduction in blood pressure and aortic wave reflection magnitude, although its effectiveness remains a matter of debate With this in mind, this study aimed to investigate the effect of PS on the vasomotor response and the stiffness of the arteries directly involved (i.e., femoral and popliteal arteries) and not directly involved (i.e., contralateral femoral and popliteal arteries and brachial artery) with the maneuver applied on the plantar flexors, knee extensor and hip flexor muscles. To this purpose, vasomotor response and arterial stiffness were assessed by Doppler ultrasounds and applanation tonometry, respectively, before and after 12 weeks of PS administration. Hypothesis has been made that repetitive PS bouts, with consequent changes in blood flow and shear rate, may be an effective stimulus to (i) enhance local vasoactive molecules bioavailability in the arteries involved with PS; and (ii) induce a systemic re-modulation of the sympathetic autonomic activity, thus improving arterial compliance and vasomotor response even in those districts not directly involved with PS.


Recruitment information / eligibility

Status Completed
Enrollment 39
Est. completion date February 7, 2020
Est. primary completion date January 7, 2020
Accepts healthy volunteers Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Gender All
Age group 18 Years and older
Eligibility Inclusion criteria:

• None

Exclusion criteria:

- presence of neurological, vascular and musculoskeletal impairments at the lower and upper limbs level;

- being on pharmacological therapy related to either neural and/or vascular response, including hormonal contraceptives and oral supplements;

- being a current or former smoker;

- having an irregular menstrual cycle (26 to 35 days) up to three months before the beginning of the study,

- presenting contraindication for joint mobilization;

- being regularly involved in PS program.

Study Design


Intervention

Other:
Passive stretching (PS) training
PSBil and PSMono underwent 12 weeks of PS training, 3 sessions per week (36 sessions in total). In PSBil, each session lasted 40 min and included two maneuvers for both the knee extensor and plantar flexor muscles with the following protocol: 45 s elongation and 15 s recovery in the resting position, all the cycle repeated for five times 7. In PSMono, exercises were performed only on the right limb and each session had a duration of 20 min. Ctrl did not underwent any PS exercise throughout the study. To promote participants' compliance, daily classes were held at different day time (morning and afternoon) at the University Sports Centre gym. Each class was supervised by an expert operator, which monitored the attendance, the correct exercise execution and the intensity exerted during the exercise (80% of the point of discomfort). The participants not attending at least the 80% of classes were excluded from the study, and a new participant was recruited to substitute the drop out.

Locations

Country Name City State
Italy Department of Biomedical Science for Health Milano

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor Collaborator
University of Milan

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Italy, 

Outcome

Type Measure Description Time frame Safety issue
Primary Change from baseline in augmentation Index The radial artery pressure wave and amplitude were recorded non-invasively by means of applanation tonometry of the radial artery. Twenty sequential waveforms covering a complete respiratory cycle were acquired from the system and used by the software to generate an average peripheral and corresponding central waveform. The systolic part of the wave form was characterized by two pressure peaks of the central waveform. The first peak results from the left cardiac ventricle ejection while the second one results from the wave reflections from the periphery. The difference between these two peaks represents the degree of the central arterial pressure augmentation due to wave reflection (i.e., the augmentation index, mmHg) Change from baseline in Augmentation Index at 12 weeks
Primary Change from baseline in femoral artery delta blood flow Femoral artery blood flow was calculated by Doppler ultrasound at baseline and at peak after single passive knee flexion and extension by using the femoral artery diameter and mean blood velocity. The difference between baseline and at peak blood flow identifies the Delta Blood Flow (ml/min). Change from baseline in Delta Blood Flow at 12 weeks
Primary Change from baseline in brachial artery flow mediated dilation Flow mediated dilation was performed at brachial artery level. An arterial pressure cuff was placed around the forearm immediately distal to the olecranon process to provide an ischemic stimulus when inflated. Following baseline assessment, the blood pressure cuff was inflated to 250 mmHg. Artery diameter was and blood flow were resumed at baseline, 30 s prior to cuff deflation and continued for 2 min post-deflation by a linear array transducer attached to a high-resolution ultrasound machine. When an optimal image was obtained, the probe was held stable and longitudinal in B-mode, acquiring images of the lumen-arterial wall interface. Continuous Doppler velocity assessments were also obtained and collected using the lowest possible insonation angle (<60°). Data were exported and analyzed using commercially available software. Flow mediated dilation was quantified as the maximal change in artery diameter after cuff release, expressed as a percentage increase above baseline (%). Change from baseline in brachial artery flow mediated dilation at 12 weeks
Secondary Change from baseline in knee range of motion To monitor the changes in knee range of motion, a bi-axial electrogoniometer was utilized. For the knee joint, the electrogoniometer was placed with one axis on the external condyle of the knee and the other on the external face of the fibula. The knee range of motion was expressed in degrees (deg) Change from baseline in in Knee Range of Motion at 12 weeks
Secondary Change in knee extensor muscles maximum isometric voluntary contraction The maximum isometric voluntary contraction of the knee extensor muscles was measured with the participant laying supine on an ergometer with the knee flexed at 90° and firmly secured at the ankle level by a Velcro® strap to a load cell for the force signal detection. Hip and shoulders were also firmly secured to the ergometer. After a warm-up (10 x 2-s contractions at 50% maximum isometric voluntary contraction), three maximum isometric voluntary contraction attempts were performed, interspersed by at least 3 min of recovery. The participants were instructed to push as fast and hard as possible for 3 s. The maximum isometric voluntary contraction (N) was identified as the highest force produced during contraction. Before, after 6 weeks, at the end (12th week), and after 6 weeks (Follow-up) of PS training
See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT03680638 - The Effect of Antioxidants on Skin Blood Flow During Local Heating Phase 1
Active, not recruiting NCT06454084 - Investigation of Endothelium-dependent Vasodilation in Human Gingiva N/A
Recruiting NCT05997732 - Sympathetic Neurovascular Transduction: Role of Adrenergic Receptors and Sex Differences Phase 4
Recruiting NCT06117007 - Effects of Betalains on Cardiovascular Health and Quality of Life N/A
Completed NCT03659864 - The Role of Eicosanoids in the Cardiovascular Actions of Inhaled Nanoparticles N/A
Completed NCT03459027 - Nitrate Supplementation and Muscle Blood Flow N/A
Recruiting NCT04255160 - Impact of Estradiol on Endothelial Function in Peri-Menopausal Women Phase 4
Recruiting NCT05522075 - Reducing Blood Pressure in Mid-life Adult Binge Drinkers N/A
Completed NCT00184886 - The Influence of Methotrexate on the Metabolism and Vascular Effects of Adenosine in Humans N/A
Completed NCT02292342 - An Investigation of the Dose-dependent Vascualr Effects of (-)-Epicatechin in Healthy Men Phase 0
Completed NCT02095873 - Healthy Aging Through Functional Food Phase 1/Phase 2
Completed NCT00901745 - Interaction of Apelin and Angiotensin in the Human Forearm Circulation N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT06290713 - Vasodilator and Exercise Study for DMD (VASO-REx) Phase 2
Completed NCT02265107 - Effects of Exercise Training on Vascular Endothelial Function of Patients Submitted to Coronary Artery Bypass Graft N/A
Recruiting NCT05219799 - Sex Disparities in Hypoxic Vasodilation and Impact of Obesity Early Phase 1
Completed NCT03622060 - Intraarterial Nitroglycerin Versus Nicardipine and Radial Artery Occlusion Phase 3
Not yet recruiting NCT06417177 - Impact of Early Aging and Menopause on the Vascular Responses to Hypoxia Early Phase 1
Completed NCT01618071 - Vascular Effects of Triglyceride-rich Lipoproteins N/A
Completed NCT03190304 - The Effect of Neprilysin (LCZ696) on Exercise Tolerance in Patients With Heart Failure Phase 4
Completed NCT04928183 - The Impact of Carbon Monoxide and Altitude on Vascular Function N/A