Changes in body core temperatures and heat balance after an abrupt release of lower body negative pressure in humans.

Abstract

Changes in body core temperature (T(cor)) and heat balance after an abrupt release of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) were investigated in 5 volunteers under the following conditions: (1) an ambient temperature (Ta) of 20 degrees C or (2) 35 degrees C, and (3) Ta of 25 degrees C with a leg skin temperature of 30 degrees C or (4) 35 degrees C. The leg skin temperature was controlled with water perfusion devices wound around the legs. Rectal (T(re)), tympanic (T(ty)) and esophageal (T(es)) temperatures, skin temperatures (7 sites) and oxygen consumption were measured. The intensity of LBNP was adjusted so that the amount of blood pooled in the legs was the same under all conditions. When a thermal balance was attained during LBNP, application of LBNP was suddenly halted. The skin temperatures increased significantly after the release of LBNP under all conditions, while oxygen consumption hardly changed. The release of LBNP caused significant falls in T(cor)s under conditions (1) and (3), but lowered T(cor)s very slightly under conditions (2) and (4). The changes in T(es) were always more rapid and greater than those of T(ty) and T(re). The falls in T(ty) and T(re) appeared to be explained by changes in heat balance, whereas the sharp drop of T(es) could not be explained especially during the first 8 min after the release of LBNP. The results suggest that a fall in T(cor) after a release of LBNP is attributed to an increase in heat loss due to reflexive skin vasodilation and is dependent on the temperature of venous blood returning from the lower body.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)