WISE 2005: flow and nitroglycerin mediated dilation following 56 days of head down tilt bed rest with and without an exercise countermeasure.

J Gravit Physiol 14(1):P55-6 (2007) PMID 18372697

This investigation set out to determine the effect of 56 days of head-down tilt bed rest (HDBR) and an exercise countermeasure on endothelial dependent and independent vascular function. 24women took part in this study. 8 subjects completed lower body resistance and aerobic exercise (EX, treadmill running 3-4 days per week for 40-min followed by 10-min of static LBNP, and resistive exercise on a flywheel device every 3rd day) and 16 subjects were considered as non-exercisers in a control group and a protein supplement group. FMD was induced by release of distal limb ischemia and NMD by sublingual administration of 0.3 mg of nitroglycerin before and after HDBR. Preliminary results of this study suggest that HDBR without EX results in a decreased resting diameter of the popliteal while EX increased the diameter. It is also suggested that FMD was elevated without exercise in both brachial and popliteal arteries, while pre-HDBR FMD was preserved by EX in the popliteal, but not the brachial artery. NMD appears to be elevated in the popliteal and femoral in the absence of exercise, but unchanged in the brachial artery or at any site for EX.