Evaluation and application of the linear variable differential transformer technique for the assessment of human dorsal hand vein alpha-receptor activity.

Diurnal, day-to-day, intrasubject, and intersubject variability of responsiveness of dorsal hand veins to norepinephrine has been investigated in healthy young subjects through the use of a novel technique in which a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) is placed directly over the vein. Under constant operating conditions, control vein diameter remained consistent. There is a log dose responsiveness to norepinephrine infused directly into the hand vein. There was little diurnal, day-to-day, or intrasubject variability in the dose of norepinephrine required to induce 50% constriction of hand vein diameter. The responsiveness to norepinephrine of different veins in either hand was also consistent. However, there was wide intersubject variability, apparently unrelated to age, gender, or other subject characteristics. We conclude that the LVDT method is reproducible and reliable and offers a relatively noninvasive means of assessing the effects of disease and drugs on the human dorsal hand vein in vivo. The LVDT technique has been applied to study the rate of onset, magnitude of effect, dose responsiveness, and duration of action of intravenous dihydroergotamine, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mg, on human dorsal hand veins. Despite systemic intravenous administration, there was an average delay in maximum response of 30 minutes to 1 hour. Venoconstriction was incomplete, with a maximum reduction of approximately 50% of vein diameter after each of the larger doses. There was no significant difference between the effects produced by 0.2 or 0.4 mg, which persisted for 6 hours after dosing.