Contribution of Adenosine to Skeletal Muscle Contraction‐Induced Vasodilation in Humans Is Not Increased with Age
Authors: Racine Matthew L. , Hearon Christopher M. , Richards Jennifer C. , Luckasen Gary J. , Joyner Michael J. , Dinenno Frank A. 
Published: November 2023

Skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise is typically reduced in older compared with young adults, which may be mediated in part by age‐related reductions in local vasodilator molecules such as nitric oxide (NO) and ATP. Despite this, muscle blood flow does increase substantially to contracting muscle of older adults. We questioned whether reductions in muscle blood flow with age, particularly at the onset of exercise, leads to greater accumulation of local metabolites that could play a more prominent role in contraction‐induced vasodilation compared with young adults. Thus, in the present study we tested the hypothesis that the contribution of adenosine (ADO) to contraction‐induced vasodilation is greater in older vs. young adults. In young (25 ± 2 years; n=8) and older (65 ± 2 years; n=8) adults, forearm vascular conductance (FVC) responses to a single 20% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) handgrip contraction and to 5 minutes of 10% MVC rhythmic handgrip exercise were measured using Doppler ultrasound of the brachial artery before and after brachial artery infusion of the ADO receptor blocker aminophylline (APH). In order to determine the effect of APH infusion that was due specifically to the blockade of ADO receptors as opposed to the elevated baseline FVC that often occurs as an off‐target effect of APH, FVC responses to contraction were also measured after sodium nitroprusside (SNP) infusion to match the APH‐induced increase in baseline FVC. In response to a single contraction, both total FVC area under the curve (AUC) and the absolute change in FVC from baseline to peak were lower in older vs. young adults (−61.2% and −56.1%, respectively; p < 0.05) under control conditions. There was no significant effect of APH on total FVC AUC in young (−5.4 ± 7.8%) or older (16.6 ± 12.4%) adults vs. control, whereas the absolute change in FVC from baseline to peak was significantly lower in young adults (−22.5 ± 7.7%; p < 0.05), but unaffected in older adults (4.1 ± 7.8%) vs. control. During rhythmic handgrip exercise, FVC was significantly lower in older adults in the first 60 sec of exercise (~45–50%) as well as during steady‐state (~25%; 110.0 ± 14.9 vs. 149.5 ±12.6 mL/min/100mmHg; both p < 0.05) under control conditions. APH had no effect on the FVC response throughout the first 3 min of exercise onset in young (range: 0.8–6.2%) or older (range: −3.9 to 10.5%) adults vs. control (p > 0.05), and did not alter the absolute change in FVC from baseline to steady‐state exercise in either group (p > 0.05). SNP had no effect on these FVC responses during single contractions or rhythmic handgrip exercise in either age group (p > 0.05). We conclude that that ADO contributes to the peak vasodilatory response to a single contraction in young but not older adults, and that advancing age is not associated with a greater reliance on ADO for local vasodilation during skeletal muscle contractions.

Support or Funding Information

HL095573, HL119337