Effects of Surgical Sympathectomy on Skin Blood Flow in a Rat Model of Chronic Limb Ischemia

p < 0.05), NSBF ( p < 0.05), and SO ( p < 0.05) were found to be drastically reduced at day 2 after ligation compared to preligation values. This reduction partially recovered during the following weeks. TSBF ( p < 0.05) and NSBF ( p < 0.05), however were still reduced at day 28 after ligation compared to preligation values, whereas the SO at this time tended to be lower ( p = 0.11). In the sympathectomy group the TSBF was found to be increased at day 2 ( p < 0.05) and day 28 ( p < 0.05) after sympathectomy, both compared to values obtained at day 28 after ligation. Sympathectomy did not have an effect on NSBF and SO. The sham procedure had no effect on the TSBF, NSBF, or SO. These results indicate that in case of lower limb ischemia, sympathectomy improves skin blood flow at the thermoregulatory but not the nutritive level of skin microcirculation. This may be related to the fact that the thermoregulatory vessels are mainly sympathetically controlled, whereas the nutritive capillaries are mainly controlled by local (nonneural) factors.