PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - R R Freedman
AU  - R Girgis
AU  - M D Mayes
TI  - Abnormal responses to endothelial agonists in Raynaud's phenomenon and scleroderma.
DP  - 2001 Jan 01
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - 119--121
VI  - 28
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/28/1/119.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/28/1/119.full
SO  - J Rheumatol2001 Jan 01; 28
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To further specify the site of vascular dysfunction in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and scleroderma. METHODS: Ten patients with RP and scleroderma and 11 healthy control subjects received brachial artery infusions of sodium nitroprusside, an endothelium independent vasodilator, bradykinin, and substance P while bilateral finger blood flow was measured with venous occlusion plethysmography. RESULTS: Both groups showed vasodilation to sodium nitroprusside. However, in response to the endothelium dependent compounds bradykinin and substance P, the controls showed vasodilation, whereas the patients showed vasoconstriction. CONCLUSION: The vascular defect in RP and scleroderma does not lie at the site of the muscarinic receptor, but possibly in a distal signaling mechanism.