Effects of nicotine on peripheral cutaneous blood flow and skin temperature.

We hypothesized that if nicotine was used in a form that was not adulterated with other hazardous substances found in tobacco, it would increase cutaneous blood flow (CBF) resulting in an increase in skin temperature. The effects of nicotine on CBF was investigated in 80 healthy volunteers and 6 patients with peripheral circulation disturbances. Each subject was required to chew nicotine gum (containing 2 mg nicotine) for 15 min and the CBF was then measured with laser blood flowmetry. Skin temperature of 35 volunteers was measured with thermography before and after chewing the gum for 15 min. A control study was performed using ordinary gum without nicotine. Increased CBF (> or = + 1 ml/min/100 g) was observed in 55 of 86 subjects (64%, 33.7-38.6 ml/min/100 g, P < 0.01). An elevation in skin temperature (> + 0.1 degree C) was also observed with nicotine gum in 26 of 35 healthy subjects (74%, + 0.62 +/- 0.96 degree C, P < 0.001). The increase in CBF was greater in subjects in which the initial CBF was lower than in others (P < 0.01). Nicotine gum was found to increase CBF (55/86) and elevate skin temperature (26/35). The smaller the initial CBF value, the greater was the increase in CBF. Nicotine or nicotine derivatives might prove to be useful agents for the treatment of peripheral circulation disturbances.