CARDIOVASCULAR CHANGES INDUCED

BY 7 DAYS OF DRY IMMERSION

Blossier J.-D., Tsvirkun D.V., Navasiolava N.M., Deschamps- Bourreau J.,
Custaud M.-A., Larina I. M., Demiot C.
UMR CNRS 6214 – Inserm 771
Faculté de Médecine 49045 Angers cedex, France
Tel: (33) 241 73 58 41 – FAX: (33) 241 73 58 95
e-mail:macustaud@chu-angers.fr

INTRODUCTION
Space flight induces a cardiovascular deconditioning syndrome [1]. One of the most important symptoms of such state is a
decrease in orthostatic tolerance, along with significantly reduced exercise capacity and an increase of heart rate [2].
Hypovolemia, hormonal changes and vascular dysfunctions are associated with cardiovascular deconditioning [3]. Dry
immersion is one of the ground-based models of space environment inducing cardiovascular deconditioning.

Cancel of Dry immersion: immersing of the subject into the thermoneutral

hydrostatic water covered with special elastic waterproof fabric film [4]. The film
pressure effects
completely isolates the body from the water, surrounds it and closes
above. The subject thus appears to be “freely suspended” in the water
mass. The film is thin and large enough, so the hydrostatic pressure is
Decrease in
Advanced equally distributed throughout the surface of the body, providing the
physical
mechanical
inactivity
conditions similar to the complete supportlessness.
forces

HYPOTHESIS
Exposure to 7 days of dry immersion provides changes in cardiovascular system similar to those after head-down bed rest
and induces microcirculatory dysfunction at the skin level.

METHODS
Subjects: 8 healthy male volunteers. Their age, body height and usual weight were 22.9±0.5 years old, 175.4±2.8 cm and
75.5±4.2 kg, respectively. The experiments were performed at the IBMP, Moscow.

Recorded parameters: Different aspects of cardiovascular deconditioning were studied:

- Microcirculation at the calf skin level was studied by laser Doppler flowmetry (Periflux PF4001, Perimed, Sweden)
in supine position and during 10 minutes stand test before (day –1) and after (recovery day +2) dry immersion.

- Plasma volume variations were evaluated by Dill and Costil method on day -2 (basal level), during immersion
(days 3 and 5) and after immersion (recovery day +4).

- The level of urinary catecholamines was assessed daily from the day -1 up to the recovery day +2 .

RESULTS
urinary normetanephrine
skin blood flow changes in plasma volume (%)
*
1,5
Dill and Costil method
µmol/24h

50 supine
1,0

40 standing 20 0,5
delta plasma
LDF (AU)

volume (%)

30 10 0,0
0 D-1 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 R1 R2
20
10
* -10
-20 urinany norepinephrine
0 -30
50
delta D3-D-2 delta D5-D-2 delta R4-D-2 40
D-1 R2
µg/24h

means±SEM

*
* p<0.05 vs D-1
30
means±SEM
20
10

Plasma volume was diminished at day 3 of 0

D-1 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 R1 R2
In standing position skin blood flow was immersion and remained stable at day 5 of
means±SEM* p<0.05 vs D-1
significantly much more reduced after immersion (decrease of 16.4±3.2 %).
immersion, while there was not observed Earlier we observed plasma volume Level of urinary catecholamines
any significant change of the basal blood decrease of about 9% after 7 days of head tended to decrease at the end of
flow in supine position. down bed rest [5, 6]. the immersion phase with a rise
immediately after immersion.

DISCUSSION
The results obtained confirm that dry immersion induces microcirculatory dysfunction at the skin level.
The enhanced sympathetic activity might participate in the increased vasoconstriction at the skin level after dry immersion.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, GRANTS
Authors thank the volunteers for their enthusiastic participation and the team of Pr. Inessa Benedictovna Kozlovskaya and
Pr. Irina Mikhailovna Larina for organisation of this experiment in IBMP.
This research was supported by CNES, CNRS and IBMP.
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