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(Circulation. 1950;2:850.)
© 1950 American Heart Association, Inc.

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The Effect of Smoking upon Blood Flow in the Sympathectomized Limb

SAMUEL I. RAPAPORT M.D.¹; HUGH A. FRANK M.D.¹; THEODORE B. MASSELL M.D.¹

¹ From the Veterans Administration Hospital, Long Beach, California; the Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Southern California and the Department of Surgery, University of California Medical School at Los Angeles.

The effect of smoking upon the blood flow of a sympathectomized limb was examined in 19 patients. Sympathectomy was found to abolish the peripheral vasoconstriction produced by smoking. The constriction, therefore, is mediated by sympathetic vasomotor fibers and not by humoral agents such as adrenaline or posterior pituitary hormone. There is no difference in the response of patients sympathectomized for thromboangiitis obliterans, arteriosclerosis or severe vasospasm. The relation between the vasoconstrictor effect of smoking and the action of tobacco in thromboangiitis obliterans is discussed.