Influence of different cuff inflation protocols on capillary filtration capacity in human calves -- a congestion plethysmography study.

It has been suggested that venous congestion plethysmography (VCP) substantially underestimates microvascular permeability by activation of a veni-arteriolar constrictor mechanism, even when using small (< 25 mmHg) congestion pressure steps. We studied human lower limbs of 18 young healthy volunteers to test whether the congestion pressure step size of the VCP protocol has an influence on the values of the capillary filtration capacity (CFC) and isovolumetric venous pressure (P(vi)). Two different dual stage VCP pressure step protocols, with 3 and 10 mmHg steps, were used in randomised order and separated by a transient reduction in congestion pressure. Since lymph flow is known to increase after venous congestion, we also looked to see if changes in the estimated lymph flow (J(v)L) occur as a result of these VCP protocols. The measured CFC (median [25th; 75th percentile]) was 2.6 [2.5; 3.2] x 10(-3) ml (100 ml)(-1) min(-1) mmHg(-1) with the 3 mmHg pressure step protocol, which was not different from the value of 2.9 [2.7; 3.4] x 10(-3) ml (100 ml)(-1) min(-1) mmHg(-1) obtained with 10 mmHg pressure steps. However, when either of these step sizes was applied after a transient venous decongestion, significantly higher values of CFC, 4.0 [3.4; 4.1] x 10(-3) and 3.5 [3.1; 4.5] x 10(-3) ml (100 ml)(-1) min(-1) mmHg(-1), respectively, were obtained (P < 0.05). The assessment of P(vi) was also independent of the pressure protocol (10 mmHg: 8.0 [5.7; 13.2] mmHg and 3 mmHg: 15.7 [12.5; 18.5] mmHg), but when P(vi) was measured after the transient deflation, significantly higher values were found with both 10 and 3 mmHg steps (24.1 [20.9; 27.3] and 30.4 [28.9; 30.9] mmHg, respectively; P < 0.01). The transient pressure reduction was associated with a rise in estimated J(v)L from 0.04 [0.03; 0.05] to 0.12 [0.08; 0.18] and 0.04 [0.04; 0.05] to 0.09 [0.07; 0.10] ml (100 ml)(-1) min(-1), respectively (P < 0.01). The first stage data from these protocols shows that the value of CFC is not influenced by the size of the cumulative venous pressure steps, providing they are of 10 mmHg or less. The data also show that J(v)L can be estimated with small step VCP protocols. We hypothesise that the sudden reduction in cuff pressure after venous congestion is associated with a temporary upregulation of lymph flow. As the congestion pressure is raised again, there is a modulation of the enhanced lymph flow, such that the resulting CFC slope appears greater than that obtained in the first stage of the protocol.