Activity In Healthy Subjects Research Articles

The Effects of Performing Bridge Exercise and Hip Thrust Exercise using Various Knee Joint Angles on Trunk and Lower Body Muscle Activation in Healthy Subjects

The Effects of Performing Bridge Exercise and Hip Thrust Exercise using Various Knee Joint Angles on Trunk and Lower Body Muscle Activation in Healthy Subjects

Lower Limb Dynamic Activity Significantly Reduces Foot Skin Perfusion: Exploring Data with Different Optical Sensors in Age-Grouped Healthy Adults

Introduction: The human lower limb is widely used as a model to study in vivo microcirculatory physiology and pathophysiology. It is a preferential target for critical comorbidities (overweight, diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease). Movement and activity are consistently regarded as beneficial, but the related adaptive physiology is still poorly understood. Our goal was to better identify the foot microcirculatory changes after a regular walking gait activity in healthy subjects of different ages. Methods: Twelve healthy participants of both sexes, with normal BMI and Ankle-Brachial Index, were selected and grouped according to age – group I (21.0 ± 1 y.o.) and group II (55.8 ± 3 y.o.). The protocol involved 2 phases of 5-min duration each – phase 1, a static standing position, and phase 2, 5-min walking with a comfortable pace on a pre-established circuit. Perfusion changes were assessed in the dorsal region of both feet before (baseline, phase 1) and after (phase 2) the gait period by noninvasive optical technologies – laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), photoplethysmography, and polarized spectroscopy (PSp). Comparative statistics were performed with a 95% confidence level. Results: All instruments detected an asymmetric nonsignificant perfusion between right and left feet during rest in all participants with values in females consistently lower than men. Older participants exhibited lower baseline values than the younger group. Gait evoked a perfusion reduction in all participants relative to phase 1 detected with all technologies, with statistically significant changes recorded with LDF (group I, p = 0.033, and group II, p = 0.028) and PSp (group II, p = 0.041). Furthermore, LDF revealed that gait significantly reduced perfusion velocity in the older group (p = 0.003). Corresponding changes in the younger group were present but discrete. Recovery to baseline levels was also slower in the older group. Discussion/Conclusions: Our results confirm that perfusion is age dependent and demonstrate the clinical relevance of simple dynamic activities such as gait. This reduction of the dorsal foot perfusion occurs in depth, being more pronounced with the movement intensity, suggesting a wide application potential in early diagnostics as for rehabilitation.

Activity of glutathione S-transferase and its π isoenzyme in the context of single nucleotide polymorphism in the GSTP1 gene (rs1695) and tobacco smoke exposure in the patients with acute pancreatitis and healthy subjects

Oxidative stress associated with the course of acute pancreatitis (AP) can cause changes in the involvement of antioxidants, which can result in the increased production of free radicals with pro-inflammatory potential. Through its noncatalytic activity, the glutathione S-transferase and its π isoenzyme (GST-π), apart from cellular xenobiotics detoxification, are involved in the regulation of cellular signalling, metabolism and apoptosis. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of SNP rs1695 in the GSTP1 gene on GST and GST-π activity in healthy subjects and patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). The concentration of glutathione (GSH) as an important component of the antioxidant system, necessary for environmental xenobiotics detoxification by GST, and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) as a marker of oxidative stress induced by inflammation were also assessed. SNP was examined in 39 AP patients and 51 healthy subjects using PCR-RFLP methods. GST activity (in plasma and erythrocyte lysate) and GST-π activity (in erythrocyte lysate) were measured using the spectrophotometric method with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and ethacrynic acid as substrate, respectively. Blood GSH concentration was measured using the Patterson method. Concentrations of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and MDA were measured using commercial tests. In the blood of non-smoking AP patients with GG genotypes for SNP rs1695 in the GSTP1 gene, the lowest GST-π activity was shown. It was accompanied by the lowest hsCRP concentration in this group. In the blood of smoking healthy subjects with AG genotype, a decrease in GST-π activity was noted compared to non-smokers from this group. However, in the blood of smokers with AP, a gradually decreasing GST-π activity was noted in individuals with AA genotype, which was associated with the increasing MDA concentration. It confirms the role of GST-π in the neutralization of oxidative stress induced by the exposure to smoke xenobiotics.

Reclaiming lost nutrition

Reclaiming lost nutrition

The effect of a textured insole on anticipatory postural adjustments

Purpose To obtain preliminary data on the effect of a textured insole on postural control. Methods Nine healthy subjects were exposed to external perturbations applied to their shoulders while standing with or without a single textured insole. Body weight distribution and bilateral electromyographic activity (EMG) of trunk and leg muscles were recorded. Onsets of EMG activity of muscles were calculated and analyzed within the interval typical for anticipatory postural adjustments. Results When a textured insole was provided under one foot, subjects shifted their body weight towards the contralateral foot. With no insole, the anticipatory onsets of EMG activity of the left and right muscles were symmetrical; when a textured insole was used, the EMG onsets of the muscles on the contralateral side of the body were seen earlier as compared to the insole side. This early activation was more pronounced in the trunk muscles (p < 0.05). Conclusions Using a single textured insole under one-foot induced asymmetry of anticipatory onsets of EMG activity in healthy subjects. The outcome highlights the importance of investigating the role of a single textured insole in control of vertical posture and provides a foundation for future studies focussed on improvement of postural control in individuals with body asymmetry due to unilateral weakness.

Characterization of Pelvic Floor Activity in Healthy Subjects and with Chronic Pelvic Pain: Diagnostic Potential of Surface Electromyography.

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a highly disabling disorder in women usually associated with hypertonic dysfunction of the pelvic floor musculature (PFM). The literature on the subject is not conclusive about the diagnostic potential of surface electromyography (sEMG), which could be due to poor signal characterization. In this study, we characterized the PFM activity of three groups of 24 subjects each: CPP patients with deep dyspareunia associated with a myofascial syndrome (CPP group), healthy women over 35 and/or parous (>35/P group, i.e., CPP counterparts) and under 35 and nulliparous (<35&NP). sEMG signals of the right and left PFM were recorded during contractions and relaxations. The signals were characterized by their root mean square (RMS), median frequency (MDF), Dimitrov index (DI), sample entropy (SampEn), and cross-correlation (CC). The PFM activity showed a higher power (>RMS), a predominance of low-frequency components (<MDF, >DI), greater complexity (>SampEn) and lower synchronization on the same side (<CC) in CPP patients, with more significant differences in the >35/P group. The same trend in differences was found between healthy women (<35&NP vs. >35/P) associated with aging and parity. These results show that sEMG can reveal alterations in PFM electrophysiology and provide clinicians with objective information for CPP diagnosis.

Urinary metabolic markers reflect on hepatic, not intestinal, CYP3A activity in healthy subjects

Intestinal cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) plays an important role in oral drug metabolism, but only endogenous metabolic markers for measuring hepatic CYP3A activity were identified. Our study evaluated whether hepatic CYP3A markers reflected intestinal CYP3A activity. An open-label, three-period, six-treatment, one-sequence clinical trial was performed in 16 healthy Korean males. In the control phase, all subjects received a single dose of intravenous (IV) and oral midazolam (1 mg and 5 mg, respectively). Clarithromycin (500 mg) was administered twice daily for 4 days to inhibit hepatic and intestinal CYP3A, and 500 mL of grapefruit juice was given to inhibit intestinal CYP3A. Clarithromycin significantly inhibited total CYP3A activity, and the clearance of IV and apparent clearance of oral midazolam decreased by 0.15- and 0.32-fold, respectively. Grapefruit juice only reduced the apparent clearance of oral midazolam by 0.84-fold, which indicates a slight inhibition of intestinal CYP3A activity. Urinary markers, including 6β–OH–cortisol/cortisol and 6β–OH–cortisone/cortisone, were significantly decreased 0.5-fold after clarithromycin administration but not after grapefruit juice. The fold changes in 6β–OH–cortisol/cortisol and 6β–OH–cortisone/cortisone did not correlate to changes in intestinal availability but did correlate to hepatic availability. In conclusion, endogenous metabolic markers are only useful to measure hepatic, but not intestinal, CYP3A activity.

Effect of moderate activity on liver function and serum lipid level in healthy subjects during the phase I clinical trial

ABSTRACT Background This study aims to investigate the incidence of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and triglyceride (TG) elevation, and the relationship with the phase I unit effect, and the moderate activity in healthy subjects enrolled in Phase I clinical trials. Methods The demographic, AST, ALT, TG and activity data were collected from the placebo (146 subjects) groups and tested drug (885 subjects) groups in 20 phase I trials. Results Elevated AST, ALT and TG levels above the upper limit of normal were detected in 1.37%, 4.79% and 34.7% of subjects in the placebo group, respectively, 3.73%, 6.67% and 39.2% of subjects in the tested drug group, respectively. The incidence of elevated AST, ALT and TG increased with the extended hospital stay. However, the incidence of elevated AST and ALT, but not the elevated TG, was reduced in subjects with moderate exercise during their hospital stay. The logistic regression analysis revealed that the baseline AST and ALT level, female gender, moderate exercise and duration of hospital stay were independent risk factors for ALT elevation. Conclusion Moderate exercise during hospital stay may reduce the elevation rate of transaminases, but not TG, in subjects at phase I trials.

Frequency-Dependent Interictal Neuromagnetic Activities in Children With Benign Epilepsy With Centrotemporal Spikes: A Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Study.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate interictal neuromagnetic activities in the low- to high-frequency ranges in patients with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS), especially those without interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs).Methods: We studied 21 clinically-diagnosed BECTS patients and 11 age-matched healthy controls (HC) using high-sampling magnetoencephalography (MEG). Neuromagnetic sources were assessed with accumulated source imaging (ASI). The MEG data were analyzed in seven frequency bands. The MEG recordings distinguished BECTS without IEDs (n = 10) from those with IEDs (n = 11) and HC (n = 11).Results: At 1–4 Hz, the neuromagnetic activities in healthy subjects tended to locate at the precuneus/posterior cingulate, while those of the BECTS patients without IEDs tended to locate at the medial frontal cortex (MFC) compared to BECTS patients with IEDs. The MEG source imaging at 30–80 Hz revealed that BECTS patients without IEDs had higher occurrences of interictal brain activity in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) compared to controls and the brain activity strength seemed to be weaker. There was a significant correlation between the source strength of the interictal gamma oscillations of BECTS patients without IEDs and the duration of epilepsy.Conclusions: IEDs might disrupt the default mode network (DMN). Aberrant brain activities in BECTS patients without IEDs were associated with cognitive areas of the brain. The strength of gamma oscillations in the chronic epilepsy state reflected the duration of BECTS.Significance: MEG could reveal the aberrant neural activities in BECTS patients during the interictal period, and such abnormality is frequency-dependent. Gamma oscillations could be used to identify BECTS patients without IEDs.

A single session of physical activity restores the mitochondrial organization disrupted by obesity in skeletal muscle fibers

BackgroundSeveral studies have proved that physical activity (PA) regulates energetic metabolism associated with mitochondrial dynamics through AMPK activation in healthy subjects. Obesity, a condition that induces oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and low AMPK activity leads to mitochondrial fragmentation. However, few studies describe the effect of PA on mitochondrial dynamics regulation in obesity. AimThe present study aimed to evaluate the effect of a single session of PA on mitochondrial dynamics regulation as well as its effect on mitochondrial function and organization in skeletal muscles of obese rats (Zucker fa/fa). Main methodsMale Zucker lean and Zucker fa/fa rats aged 12 to 13 weeks were divided into sedentary and subjected-to-PA (single session swimming) groups. Gastrocnemius muscle was dissected into isolated fibers, mitochondria, mRNA, and total proteins for their evaluation. Key findingsThe results showed that PA increased the Mfn-2 protein level in the lean and obese groups, whereas Drp1 levels decreased in the obese group. OMA1 protease levels increased in the lean group and decreased in the obese group. Additionally, AMPK analysis parameters (expression, protein level, and activity) did not increase in the obese group. These findings correlated with the partial restoration of mitochondrial function in the obese group, increasing the capacity to maintain the membrane potential after adding calcium as a stressor, and increasing the transversal organization level of the mitochondria analyzed in isolated fibers. SignificanceThese results support the notion that obese rats subjected to PA maintain mitochondrial function through mitochondrial fusion activation by an AMPK-independent mechanism.

Vitamin K2 Supplementation Does Not Affect Vitamin K-Dependent Coagulation Factors Activity in Healthy Subjects: A Pilot Study

Abstract Objectives Vitamin K is generally regarded as a procoagulant drug with physicians, concerns have been raised about its effects on hemostasis in the healthy population. We aimed to investigate whether vitamin K2 affects activities of individual vitamin K dependent coagulation factors in healthy individuals without anticoagulation treatment. Methods Forty healthy volunteers between 25 and 40 years old were recruited. They received 90 μg of vitamin K2 every day for 30 days. Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), international normalized ratio (INR), fibrinogen (FIB) levels and blood coagulation factors II, VII, IX, and X activity levels (F II : C, FⅦ : C, FⅨ : C,FⅩ : C), protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II), which is uncarboxylated prothrombin were measured at day 0, and day 30 after vitamin K2 administration. Plasma diluted 1:10 from vitamin K2 group and healthy control group were assayed for the activity of factors II, VII, IX, and X. Results PT, APTT, TT, and FIB did not show significant difference at day 30 when compared with baseline. The activities of coagulation factors II, VII, IX, and X was not significantly different with baseline (97.28 ± 12.42% vs. 99.96 ± 10.24%, P = 0.24 for F II: C; 76.12 ± 15.82% vs. 76.40 ± 12.33%, P = 0.92 for FⅦ: C; 97.65 ± 13.98% vs. 99.65 ± 13.30%, P = 0.47 for FⅨ: C; 89.18 ± 10.76% vs. 92.01 ± 10.46%, P = 0.1 for FⅩ: C) . PIVKA-II levels were not changed with 30 days vitamin K2 supplementation (21.62 ± 3.21 vs. 23.87 ± 2.65 mAU/ml, P = 0.16). After 30 days vitamin K2 administration, factor II, Ⅶ, Ⅸ, and Ⅹ activity of plasma diluted up to 10 times were proportionally decreased, and did not show significant difference with the healthy control without vitamin K2 exposure (10.32 ± 1.24% vs. 10.97 ± 1.55%, P = 0.38 for F II: C; 9.52 ± 2.94% vs. 9.14 ± 1.79%, P = 0.68 for FⅦ: C; 11.78 ± 2.12% vs.11.65 ± 1.54%, P = 0.87 for FⅨ: C; 8.22 ± 1.28% vs. 8.92 ± 1.13%, P = 0.21 for FⅩ: C). Conclusions Vitamin K2 supplementation at recommended dosage does not affect vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors activity in healthy subjects. Uncarboxylated prothrombin (PIVKA-II) in healthy individuals is not decreased with vitamin K supplementation. Funding Sources None.

Electrocardiogram Corrected Q-T Interval Predicts Response to Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Depression.

Recent studies have revealed a possible link between heart rate variability (HRV) and major depressive disorder (MDD), with decreased HRV in MDD compared with healthy subjects. Corrected Q-T interval (QTc) has been suggested to represent an indirect estimate of HRV, as QTc length is inversely correlated to parasympathetic activity in healthy subjects. This retrospective study assessed the ability of QTc length in predicting response to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) treatment in refractory depression. We measured QTc length in 19 patients suffering from refractory depression, selected to be implanted with VNS. Correlations were calculated between baseline QTc (preimplantation) and long-term mood response. Nineteen patients selected for VNS surgery were included in the study. Baseline 28-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores were 28.5 ± 6.8 and decreased to 15.1 ± 9.5 at 12 months and 12.4 ± 10.4 at 24 months post-VNS. Among the 19 patients, 53% (10) were responders and 26% (5) were in remission at 12 months. Pretreatment QTc averaged 425.5 ± 22.0. Patients with longer baseline QTc displayed larger improvement, with a significant correlation between mood and QTc values after 12 months (r(18) = -0.526, P = 0.02) and also after 24 months of VNS therapy (r(17) = -0.573, P = 0.016). The presented analysis showed that increased QTc in patients with MDD might be used as a baseline biomarker for depressive episodes that might respond preferentially to VNS. The link between cardiovagal activity in depression and response to VNS treatment requires further investigation in larger cohorts and randomized controlled trials.

Effect of Diamond Taping Applied to the Elbow Joint on Wrist Extensor Muscle Activity in Healthy Subjects

Effect of Diamond Taping Applied to the Elbow Joint on Wrist Extensor Muscle Activity in Healthy Subjects

In humans, sleep spindles are generated by local thalamic pacemakers.

In humans, sleep spindles are generated by local thalamic pacemakers.

Nutrition in Cancer: Effective in Prevention and Treatment?

Nutritional effects on cancer occurrence and on treatment outcome in cancer patients may depend on food preferences and on the quantity of foods supplied. However, it has been difficult to reliably show beneficial effects of specific dietary concepts on cancer incidence. On the other hand, obesity as a result of chronic overfeeding has been linked firmly to an increased risk of a number of cancers as well as on cancer recurrence after treatment. Metabolic consequences of obesity and other components of the metabolic syndrome may be responsible for inducing and/or promoting cancer growth and should be antagonized by regular moderate physical activity in healthy subjects and in cancer survivors. During cancer treatment and in patients with advanced disease, inadequate food intake and physical inactivity may lead to malnutrition, while recurrent and chronic systemic inflammatory reactions induce chronic catabolism with a preferential loss of muscle and cell mass, condition referred to as cachexia.

Human arm weight compensation in rehabilitation robotics: efficacy of three distinct methods

BackgroundArm weight compensation with rehabilitation robots for stroke patients has been successfully used to increase the active range of motion and reduce the effects of pathological muscle synergies. However, the differences in structure, performance, and control algorithms among the existing robotic platforms make it hard to effectively assess and compare human arm weight relief. In this paper, we introduce criteria for ideal arm weight compensation, and furthermore, we propose and analyze three distinct arm weight compensation methods (Average, Full, Equilibrium) in the arm rehabilitation exoskeleton ’ARMin’. The effect of the best performing method was validated in chronic stroke subjects to increase the active range of motion in three dimensional space.MethodsAll three methods are based on arm models that are generalizable for use in different robotic devices and allow individualized adaptation to the subject by model parameters. The first method Average uses anthropometric tables to determine subject-specific parameters. The parameters for the second method Full are estimated based on force sensor data in predefined resting poses. The third method Equilibrium estimates parameters by optimizing an equilibrium of force/torque equations in a predefined resting pose. The parameters for all three methods were first determined and optimized for temporal and spatial estimation sensitivity. Then, the three methods were compared in a randomized single-center study with respect to the remaining electromyography (EMG) activity of 31 healthy participants who performed five arm poses covering the full range of motion with the exoskeleton robot. The best method was chosen for feasibility tests with three stroke patients. In detail, the influence of arm weight compensation on the three dimensional workspace was assessed by measuring of the horizontal workspace at three different height levels in stroke patients.ResultsAll three arm weight compensation methods reduced the mean EMG activity of healthy subjects to at least 49% compared with the no compensation reference. The Equilibrium method outperformed the Average and the Full methods with a highly significant reduction in mean EMG activity by 19% and 28% respectively. However, upon direct comparison, each method has its own individual advantages such as in set-up time, cost, or required technology. The horizontal workspace assessment in poststroke patients with the Equilibrium method revealed potential workspace size-dependence of arm height, while weight compensation helped maximize the workspace as much as possible.ConclusionDifferent arm weight compensation methods were developed according to initially defined criteria. The methods were then analyzed with respect to their sensitivity and required technology. In general, weight compensation performance improved with the level of technology, but increased cost and calibration efforts. This study reports a systematic way to analyze the efficacy of different weight compensation methods using EMG. Additionally, the feasibility of the best method, Equilibrium, was shown by testing with three stroke patients. In this test, a height dependence of the workspace size also seemed to be present, which further highlights the importance of patient-specific weight compensation, particularly for training at different arm heights.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov,NCT02720341. Registered 25 March 2016

Effect of Olfactory Stimulation Mixed Carbonated Water Swallow on Suprahyoid Muscle Activity in Healthy Subjects

Effect of Olfactory Stimulation Mixed Carbonated Water Swallow on Suprahyoid Muscle Activity in Healthy Subjects

The influence of the volumetric composition of the intracranial space on neural activity in healthy subjects: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance study.

Brain atrophy is a condition observed both with healthy aging and in association with neurologic pathological conditions. We investigated the role of the volumetric composition of the intracranial space (VOCICS) in terms of relative brain volume (BV%) and relative cerebrospinal fluid volume (CSFV%) on the neural activity measured by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). We performed a group rs-fMRI analysis of a dataset of 192 healthy subjects derived by the publicly available Functional Connectome Project. Automatic volumetric analysis of structural data was performed in order to obtain BV% and CSFV% for every subject. Two fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations (fALFF) and two region of interest-to-region of interest (ROI-to-ROI) analyses were then performed using BV% and CSFV% as second-level covariates, adopting a multiple regression statistic test in order to evaluate the effects of BV% and CSFV% on brain networks. The analyses revealed that VOCICS broadly influences brain networks. In conclusion, VOCICS significantly influences brain activity measured by rs-fMRI, and this parameter could represent an easy marker of brain connectivity in healthy young subjects.

Regions of the brain activated in bladder filling vs rectal distention in healthy adults: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies.

Adults with pelvic floor disorders commonly present with overlapping bladder and bowel symptoms; however, the relationship between urinary and defecatory dysfunction is not well understood. Our aim was to compare and determine if overlapping brain regions are activated during bladder filling and rectal distention in healthy adults. We conducted separate Pubmed searches for neuroimaging studies investigating the effects of rectal distention and bladder filling on brain activation in healthy subjects. Coordinates of activated regions were extracted with cluster-level threshold P < .05 and compared using the activation likelihood estimate approach. Results from the various studies were pooled and a contrast analysis was performed to identify any common areas of activation between bladder filling and rectal distension. We identified 96 foci of activation from 14 neuroimaging studies on bladder filling and 182 foci from 17 studies on rectal distension in healthy adults. Regions activated during bladder filling included right insula, right and left thalamus, and right periaqueductal grey. Regions activated during rectal distention included right and left insula, right and left thalamus, left postcentral gyrus, and right inferior parietal lobule. Contrast analysis revealed common activation of the right insula with both rectal distention and bladder filling. Bladder filling and rectal distention activate several separate areas of the brain involved in sensory processing in healthy adults. The common activation of the insula, the region responsible for interoception, in these two conditions may offer an explanation for the coexistence of bladder and defecatory symptoms in pelvic floor disorders.

P4388Acute detrimental effects of e-cigarette and tobacco cigarette smoking on blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity in healthy subjects

Abstract Background/Introduction Tobacco cigarette smoking is related with atherosclerosis progression, blood pressure increase and changes in sympathetic nerve activity. However, there are scarce data on the impact of e-cigarettes that have been proposed as less harmful alternatives on the cardiovascular system and sympathetic drive. Purpose This study aimed to assess the acute effects of tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes and sham smoking on blood pressure and sympathetic nervous system in healthy subjects. Methods We studied 10 normotensive male habitual smokers (mean age 33 years, body mass index: 24.1 kg/m2, office blood pressure=117/72 mmHg) free of cardiovascular disease. The study design was randomized and placebo controlled with 3 experimental sessions (sham smoking, tobacco cigarette smoking, and e-cigarette smoking) in random order, each session on a separate day. Subjects smoked 2 tobacco cigarettes containing 1.1 mg nicotine or simulate smoking (sham smoking) with the 2 cigarettes separated by 5 minutes, while 45 minutes after finishing the second cigarette, subjects smoked a third cigarette or sham cigarette. Additionally, participants smoked e-cigarettes for a period of 5 and 30 minutes. In all occasions, sympathetic drive was assessed by muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) (baroreflex-dependent) and skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) (baroreflex-independent) based on established methodology (microneurography). Results After the first, second and third tobacco cigarette smoking there was markedly and significantly increase in mean arterial pressure (by 11.2±1.4%, 12.3±1.3% and 13.1±1.4%, respectively, p&lt;0.05 for all) and heart rate (by 25.1±3.7%, 26.3±2.7% and 25.9±3.7%, respectively, p&lt;0.05 for all). Similarly e-cigarette smoking at 5 and 30 minutes was accompanied by augmentation of mean arterial pressure (by 10.9±1.2% and 12.8±1.4%, respectively, p&lt;0.05 for both) and heart rate (by 22.5±3.3% and 23.9±3.8%, respectively, p&lt;0.05 for both). Regarding the effect on sympathetic nervous system, the first, second and third tobacco cigarette smoking was accompanied by lower MSNA (by 28.1±4.4%, 29.6±5.3% and 30.1±5.2%, respectively, p&lt;0.05 for all), whereas SSNA was increased (by 98.2±19.4%, 100.2±22.7% and 101.5±21.6%, respectively, p&lt;0.05 for all). Additionally, e-cigarette smoking at 5 and 30 minutes caused a decrease in MSNA (by 26.9±3.6%, and 28.3±5.1%, respectively, p&lt;0.05 for both), and an augmentation in SSNA (by 97.9±20.1% and 100.9±20.6%, respectively, p&lt;0.05 for both). Sham smoking was devoid of any effects on blood pressure, MSNA and SSNA. Conclusions E-cigarette smoking acutely increases blood pressure and has a detrimental effect on sympathetic nerve activity regulation similar to tobacco smoking in healthy subjects. Our findings underscore the negative impact of e-cigarettes on cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system and could aid further recommendation in their use.