Microcirculatory changes and skeletal muscle oxygenation measured at rest by non-infrared spectroscopy in patients with and without diabetes undergoing haemodialysis

Abstract Background: Haemodialysis has direct and indirect effects on skin and muscle microcirculatory regulation that are severe enough to worsen tolerance to physical exercise and muscle asthenia in patients undergoing dialysis, thus compromising patients’ quality of life and increasing the risk of mortality. In diabetes these circumstances are further complicated, leading to an approximately sixfold increase in the incidence of critical limb ischaemia and amputation. Our aim in this study was to investigate in vivo whether haemodialysis induces major changes in skeletal muscle oxygenation and blood flow, microvascular compliance and tissue metabolic rate in patients with and without diabetes. Methods: The study included 20 consecutive patients with and without diabetes undergoing haemodialysis at Sant Andrea University Hospital, Rome from March to April 2007. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) quantitative measurements of tissue haemoglobin concentrations in oxygenated [HbO2] and deoxygenated forms [HHb] were obtained in the calf once hourly for 4 hours during dialysis. Consecutive venous occlusions allowed one to obtain muscular blood flow (mBF), microvascular compliance and muscle oxygen consumption (mVO2). The tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and content (CtO2) as well as the microvascular bed volume were derived from the haemoglobin concentration. Nonparametric tests were used to compare data within each group and among the groups and with a group of 22 matched healthy controls. Results: The total haemoglobin concentration and [HHb] increased significantly during dialysis in patients without and with diabetes. Only in patients with diabetes, dialysis involved a [HbO2], CtO2 and mVO2 increase but left StO2 unchanged. Multiple regression analysis disclosed a significant direct correlation of StO2 with HbO2 and an inverse correlation with mVO2. Dialysis increased mBF only in diabetic patients. Microvascular compliance decreased rapidly and significantly during the first hour of dialysis in both groups. Conclusions: Our NIRS findings suggest that haemodialysis in subjects at rest brings about major changes in skeletal muscle oxygenation, blood flow, microvascular compliance and tissue metabolic rate. These changes differ in patients with and without diabetes. In all patients haemodialysis induces changes in tissue haemoglobin concentrations and microvascular compliance, whereas in patients with diabetes it alters tissue blood flow, tissue oxygenation (CtO2, [HbO2]) and the metabolic rate (mVO2). In these patients the mVO2 is correlated to the blood supply. The effects of haemodialysis on cell damage remain to be clarified. The absence of StO2 changes is probably linked to an opposite [HbO2] and mVO2 pattern.