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Thermal influence on palmar sweating and mental influence on generalized sweating in man.

Sweat rates on the forearm and on the palm were simultaneously recorded by resistance hygrometry and the mode of sweating in these areas in response to thermal and non-thermal stimuli were compared with each other. In Series A, periodic infrared irradiation (1 min on, 1 min off) was done to the back of the trunk, and reflex responses in sweat rate were recorded on both test areas. A high correlation was noted between the mean changes in the palmar sweat rate and those in the forearm one during the irradiation cycle in a majority of cases. However the magnitude of the sweat response was much less on the palm than on the forearm. These observations reveal that the central mechanism of palmar sweating may be affected to some extent by the thermoregulatory mechanism. Series B was concerned with the pattern of response in forearm sweating to various non-thermal stimuli. Careful observations showed that the forearm sweating responded diversely to various mental stimuli, unlike the palmar sweating whose response was always an increase. Mental arithmetic, mental testing and physical exercise caused an immediate increase in the palmar sweating but often elicited a transient decrease in the forearm sweating, whereas pain, noise, and emotional stimuli consistently provoked an increase of sweating on the forearm as well as on the palm. These observations suggest that the activities of higher centers, presumably involving neocortex and limbic cortex, exert various influences on the central mechanisms of palmar and generalized sweating.

Acoustic Stimulation

Experiment studies on sweating for exercise prescription: total body sweat rate in relation to work load in physically trained adult males.

This study was designed to examine whether or not the total body sweat rate can be used as a practical index for prescribing exercise. The sweat rate was experimentally studied in relation to factors such as intensity of exercise, the secretory capacity of sweating mechanism, and body temperature. After determining the maximum sweating rate on the whole body surface, regarded as the secretory capacity of the sweating mechanism, each physically trained subject was made to pedal a bicycle ergometer for 60 min at each of several kinds of mechanical work rates under fixed hot climatic conditions in summer. Total body sweat rate, rectal temperature, and RMR were measured during the experiment. The sweat secreting index (SSI), which is ratio of total body sweat rate to maximum sweat rate, was calculated, and was presumed to indicate the functioning rate of sweat secretory capacity. The total body sweat rate responded to factors such as RMR, SSI, and rectal temperature with a high correlation coefficient. From these results it was concluded that the total body sweat rate can be used as a practical index for prescribing exercise.

Adult

Relationship between evaporation rate of sweat and mean sweating rate.

The rate of evaporation of sweat under a step change of ambient temperature (30-45 degrees C) was compared with the mean sweating rate (MSR) computed from five simultaneous resistance hygrometric measurements. Empirical equations derived for the conditions studied enabled a direct conversion from hygrometric measurements into real evaporative sweat losses and skin wetness for all phases of sweat evaporation. From five chosen skin areas, forehead, forearm, chest, thigh, and calf, it was found that none of these sites gave a local sweating response close to the MSR. In the subjects with a forehead sweating rate within +/- 39% of the MSR, at least four hygrometric sensors were needed to predict the rate of sweat evaporation. For subjects with higher forehead sweating rates, at least five sensors were necessary to calculate the evaporative sweat loss.

Adult

An improved method for measurement of sweat expulsions during profuse sweating.

We present an improved ventilated-capsule method of recording for clear sweat expulsion patterns using nitrogen gas as a carrier gas heated to promote sweat evaporation. With this method, sweat expulsion patterns were more clearly recorded than with the conventional ventilated-capsule method. Taking the derivatives of these recordings of sweating expulsions could eliminate slow fluctuation components in the patterns of sweating. The results indicate that this method is useful in providing more-accurate measurements of sweat expulsion frequencies during profuse sweating.

Adult

Effects of subcutaneously administered adrenaline on human eccrine sweating, with special reference to the physiological significance of the adrenergic sweating mechanism.

The effects of a small dose (3-6 mug/kg) of subcutaneously administered adrenaline on thermal sweating were studied while subjects were at rest and during or after excerise by means of continuous monitoring by resistance hygrometry of the sweat rate in the forearm area. In most cases, the sweat rate either decreased or did not change significantly following the adrenaline injection, however, among athletic subjects it showed a mild increase in a few cases, mostly during or after exercise. In the area receiving the intradermal injection of an alpha-adrenergic blocking agent, tolazoline, phentolamine or dihydroergotoxine, subcutaneous adrenaline consistently caused an increase in sweat rate. Adrenaline (15 mug) was injected intravenously with similar results. Noradrenaline was used in place of adrenaline in some cases, and the results were essentially the same as, but less distinct than, those with adrenaline. The results indicate that a small dose of subcutaneous adrenaline has dual effects, with the sweat-inhibitory effect generally predominating over the sweat-facilitatory one, with occasional exceptions in association with exercise and/or physical training. The former effect is largely secondary to its vasconstrictive effect, whereas the latter appears to be secondary to its systemic effects, such as central and calorigenic ones. It is concluded that adrenaline within a physiological range exerts no direct action on human eccrine sweat glands.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists

The ultrastructure of the sweat glands of the ox, sheep and goat during sweating and recovery.

The ultrastructure of the sweat glands of cattle, sheep and goats was studied before, during, and after, exposure of the animals to controlled warm environments. In cattle, sweating induced little ultrastructural change in the gland, although fluid-filled spaces appeared between the myo- and secretory epithelial layers. The mechanism appears to be one of fluid transport and exocytosis of secretory vesicles, which in this species seem to be derived from the Golgi apparatus and/or mitochondria. The glands of the sheep and goat also displayed signs of vesicle exocytosis and of fluid transport during sweating. The sweating 'fatigue' in these species was apparently due to failure of the secretory cells, some of which ruptured and were extruded into the lumen. The evidence during subsequent recovery indicates that neighbouring cells spread to make contact, encase remnants of atretic cells between them and the underlying myoepithelium, and engulf them. Sweat in these species appears to be formed (a) by secretion and (b) from cells which can no longer meet the demands of stimulation. The role in sweating of cell replacement, and of undifferentiated cells found between the myo- and secretory epithelia, is discussed.

Animals

'Rusters'. The corrosive action of palmar sweat: I. Sodium chloride in sweat.

Sweat from 8 'rusters' and 8 control persons was examined for its sodium concentration. Sweating was induced by iontophoresis of pilocarpine on the distal forearm. In no case did the concentrations exceed the normal upper limit for this procedure, and no difference was found between the two groups. In this way the study failed to confirm earlier reports of elevated sodium chloride concentrations in sweat from 'rusters'. Proposals of a relationship between 'rusters' and patients with pancreatic cystic fibrosis were not substantiated. Hyperhidrosis of the palms and volar surfaces of the fingers was present in all 'rusters'. This seemed to be the main cause of the corrosive tendency, and patients referred for palmar hyperhidrosis were found to produce corrosion similar to the 'rusters'. Topical application of aluminium chloride hexahydrate in a 25% solution in absolute ethyl alcohol proved effective against both hyperhidrosis and the corrosive tendency.

Administration, Topical

Sweat testing for cystic fibrosis: errors associated with the in-situ sweat test using chloride ion selective electrodes.

The in-situ sweat test is prone to errors from various sources. This paper examines errors due to evaporation, absorption of water into the skin, and pressure of the electrode on the skin. Only evaporation caused serious errors. The accuracy and precision when measuring small chloride/sweat samples on the skin are not significantly worse than when measuring bulk solutions.

Chlorides

Evaluation of pilocarpine effects on sweat proteome.

BACKGROUND: Sweat is increasingly recognized as a valuable, non-invasive biofluid for biomarker discovery, yet its composition depends on the stimulation method. This study aimed to determine how pharmacological induction with pilocarpine compares to physiologically induced sweat through exercise in shaping the sweat proteome. RESULTS: We analyzed thermoregulatory sweat from exercise, pilocarpine-induced sweat, and combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat. Total protein concentrations were similar across conditions, but pilocarpine markedly increased proteomic diversity, with combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat showing the highest number of identifications. The core sweat proteome remained stable, while pilocarpine selectively enriched low-abundance proteins involved in vesicular trafficking, cytoskeletal remodelling, and metabolism. Proteins linked to the canonical M3-Gq-PLC-Ca2+ pathway, including AQP5, CALML5, and CLIC1, were consistently enriched, confirming cholinergic activation. Pilocarpine-induced sweat also contained plasma-derived and immune-related proteins, reflecting enhanced secretion and reduced ductal reabsorption. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise yields a physiologically relevant but less complex proteome, pilocarpine-induced sweat produces a pharmacologically enriched yet biased profile, and combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat maximizes protein detection at the expense of interpretability. These findings highlight the critical impact of stimulation paradigm on sweat proteomics and provide a reference framework for biomarker research. SIGNIFICANCE: This study employed LC-MS/MS to systematically characterize eccrine sweat and delineate how stimulation paradigms-exercise, pilocarpine, and their combination-shape its proteomic landscape. By demonstrating that pharmacological induction profoundly alters protein diversity and composition compared to physiologically induced sweat, these findings establish a critical benchmark for sweat-based biomarker research and highlight the need for paradigm-aware sampling strategies in clinical and translational contexts. Nonetheless, several methodological constraints warrant consideration: the limited sample size (five individuals per group), the exclusive inclusion of women under combined oral contraceptive treatment (21 active pills followed by 7 pill-free days), which restricts extrapolation to naturally cycling women, and the focus on healthy young adults (18-25 years), limiting generalizability to older or clinically heterogeneous populations. Despite these limitations, this work provides a foundational framework for optimizing sweat collection protocols and advancing precision approaches in non-invasive diagnostics.

Pilocarpine

Effects of essential hypertension and antihypertensive medications on sweat formation.

OBJECTIVE: Sweat volume and ionic composition depend to a large extent upon the cytosolic free calcium level in secretory sweat cells and sodium and potassium transport in the reabsorptive sweat duct. Since essential hypertension and its treatment with antihypertensive drugs is likely to be associated with altered cellular ionic regulation, the objective of this research was to explore sweat formation and sweat parameters in hypertensive and normotensive subjects. DESIGN: Black and white hypertensive and normotensive subjects of both genders were studied. Essential hypertensives were on or off antihypertensive medication. METHODS: Pilocarpine iontophoresis was used to induce sweat in a 5-cm2 area of the middle forearm. Sweat was analyzed for volume, sodium and potassium concentrations. RESULTS: Females demonstrated lower sweat volumes after pilocarpine stimulation than males. Untreated hypertensive white males exhibited a higher pilocarpine-induced sweat volume and sweat sodium excretion than normotensive white males, whilst hypertensive white males on antihypertensive medication showed a lower sweat volume and sweat sodium excretion than both normotensive white males and untreated essential hypertensive white males. Although untreated hypertensive white females did not show significant alterations in sweat parameters, treated hypertensive white females exhibited lower sweat volume and sweat sodium excretion than both the normotensive and untreated essential hypertensive white females. These hypertension and drug related alterations were not present in hypertensive black males and females. CONCLUSIONS: The results are consistent with the heterogeneous nature of essential hypertension and the diversity of the response to antihypertensive therapy. They suggest that the effect of antihypertensive medication on sweat formation is mediated through cytosolic free calcium.

Adult

Sweat gland function in isolated perfused skin.

1. A technique for perfusion of skin has been used to investigate a possible neurochemical basis for the different patterns of sweating in domestic animals. Evaporative water loss was measured from excised trunk skin, ears or tails perfused with a nutrient Krebs solution, to which drugs were added as required. Perfused skin was observed to sweat in response to administration of sudorific drugs, and some features of the patterns of sweating were similar to those which could be induced by heating or by drugs in conscious animals. 2. In sheep and goat skin, injections of adrenaline, and to a lesser extent of noradrenaline, elicited brief sweat discharges but these were not sustained when the drugs were infused during 10-20 min. Injections of isoprenaline, carbachol, 5-HT, bradykinin, oxytocin and histamine were all ineffective. 3. Injections of adrenaline into cattle skin evoked longer-lasting sweat discharges, and infusions of adrenaline elicited continuous discharges. Injections of noradrenaline and sometimes of bradykinin caused only brief sweat discharges; other drugs were ineffective. 4. In horse and donkey skin, injections or infusions of noradrenaline, oxytocin and bradykinin elicited brief discharges of sweat. Infusions of isoprenaline caused a continuous and profuse outflow of sweat. Infusions of adrenaline also caused a continuous discharge which was usually biphasic in its onset. Other drugs were ineffective. 5. Assuming that the brief sweat discharges are due to myoepithelial contractions and the continuous discharges to sustained increases in secretion, equine sweat glands seem to have a alpha-adrenergically controlled myoepithelium and a beta-adrenergically controlled secretory mechanism. Sheep and goats may have a similar alpha-adrenergic control of the sweat gland myoepithelium but only a feeble sweat secretory mechanism. In cattle, an alpha-adrenergic mechanism appears to control sweat secretion, but the control of the myoepithelium is uncertain.

Animals

Secretion of a potassium-rich fluid by the secretory coil of the rat paw eccrine sweat gland.

1. It is already known that the rat paw eccrine sweat contains high K(+) (greater than 150 mM) and low Na(+) concentrations (less than 70 mM). The present study was intended to clarify the site of K(+) secretion within the sweat gland, namely, the duct or the secretory coil. In vivo paw sweat was first induced by systemic pilocarpine injection or nerve stimulation. Both K(+) and Na(+) concentrations were studied in relation to the sweat rate to determine indirectly whether there is ductal secretion or reabsorption.2. Both Na(+) and K(+) concentrations in paw sweat agreed with the previous studies but did not show any saturation-type flow dependence at the high sweat rate range.3. A method has been developed to isolate a single segment of the secretory coil and induce sweat secretion directly from it in an in vitro condition.4. In the presence of fresh serum (30%, preincubated for 30 min at 56 degrees C) in the incubation medium, stable secretory activity due to 10(-6)M-Mecholyl could be maintained for 40 min or longer. The primary sweat thus induced contained low Na(+) (30 mM) and high K(+) (160 mM) concentrations.5. In the secretory coil sweat in vitro, K(+) concentration decreased and Na(+) concentration increased as the secretory rate fell either spontaneously or after addition of atropine or cyanide.6. It remains to be studied whether auxiliary ductal secretion or reabsorption is present at low rates of sweating in the rat sweat gland.7. It was concluded that the secretory coil of the rat paw sweat gland is the major, if not the sole, site of K(+) secretion.

Animals

[Free amino acids in human Eocrine sweat (author's transl)].

With the aid of ion exchange column chromatography we determined quantitatively the free amino acids in eccrine, thermal sweat. Sweat was collected (a) from the face of 27 healthy men and 26 healthy women (b) from the face, chest, armpits, shoulders, back, upper part of the abdomen, hypogastrium, forearms and thighs of the same individual and (c) from the face of the same individual at different times. Sweat was deproteinised by adding an equal volume of 5% sulphosalicylic acid. 1. The results showed not only a constant, qualitative amino acid pattern in sweat, but also a relative constancy among the individual amino acids. 2. The concentrations of the free amino acids in sweat showed significant, individual variations. Particularly high excretion rates were observed in the following amino acids: alanine, glycine, citrulline, histidine, ornithine, threonine and serine. 3. As compared to men, women had an increased excretion of all the examined amino acids in sweat from the face, except for cystine. Statistically significant higher excretion was seen within this sex-specific comparison for the following amino acids: alanine, citrulline, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, serine, taurine, threonine, tyrosine and valine. 4. Essential amino acids such as isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine and valine and also cystine were always excreted only in small amounts. 5. Significant differences were also observed in the total amino acid excretion and in the individual amino acid excretions in sweat obtained from different parts of the body of the same person. 6. The amino acid concentrations determined in the sweat from the face of the same individual at different times showed a relative constancy as compared to the large differences of the amino acid concentrations determined in the sweat from the face of different individuals.

Amino Acids

Human skin wettedness and evaporative efficiency of sweating.

Rates of evaporation and sweating were recorded for three acclimatized male subjects in hot humid conditions, the ambient parameters of which were set so that the various imposed evaporative rates required the same skin wettedness at different levels of sweating. Rectal and skin temperatures were measured. Results showed that during steady state occurring during the 2nd h of exposure each subject reached the required evaporative rate by means of increases in skin wettedness regardless of the level of sweating; the sweat evaporative efficiency, defined as the ratio between evaporative rate and sweat rate, decreased as skin wettedness increased, in a range between 0.74 and 1.0 Sweat efficiency fell to 0.67 for fully wet skin. The body temperatures did not increase with time if skin wettedness was less than unity. Evaporative heat transfer coefficient (he), maximum evaporative capacity, and wettedness were estimated on the basis of the observed decrease of sweat efficiency. The relationship between skin wettedness and sweat efficiency was interpreted as a combined effect of differences in local he as well as in local sweat rates.

Adult

Plasma ammonia is the principal source of ammonia in sweat.

Sweat contains ammonia. However, neither its source nor factors affecting its concentration in the sweat are known. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of plasma concentrations of ammonia and urea on the concentration of ammonia in the sweat. Four groups of male volunteers were examined: one control, two after ingestion of ammonium chloride, three cirrhotic, hyperammonaemic, four uraemic. Sweat was collected from each subject from the palmar side of the forearm using gauze pads, after previous iontophoresis of pilocarpine. Ammonia and urea concentrations were determined in the sweat and in the plasma. It was found that elevated plasma ammonia concentration in healthy subjects after ingestion of ammonium chloride as well in the cirrhotic patients resulted in an increase of ammonia concentration in the sweat. High plasma and sweat urea concentration in the uraemic subjects did not affect the concentration of ammonia in the sweat. It was concluded that plasma ammonia was the principal source of ammonia in the sweat.

Administration, Oral

Effects of baroreceptor activation on spontaneous activity in the sweat glands and nictitating membrane of the cat.

(1) In chloralose-anesthetized cats, elevation of carotid sinus pressure caused blood pressure, sweat gland potentials and nictitating membrane tension to decrease. (2) The onset and recovery of the sweat gland and nictitating membrane responses usually preceded the respective phases of the blood pressure (depressor) response; the latencies of the sweat gland and nictitating membrane responses agreed with the latencies predicted for neural reflex pathways. (3) The sweat gland and nictitating membrane responses were evoked less consistently than the depressor response. (4) In experiments where only the sweat gland potentials and blood pressure were studied: (a) the sinus pressure threshold for inhibition of sweat gland activity was similar to the threshold for the depressor response; (b) cutting the sinus nerves, or blocking the efferent neural activity to the sweat glands, eliminated the effects of sinus pressure elevation on the sweat gland potentials; (c) with carotid sinus pressure held constant, decreases in blood pressure, produced by stimulating the peripheral end of the vagus nerve, did not affect the sweat gland potentials. (5) These results indicate that baroreceptors can reflexly modulate activity in sympathetic neurons whose target organs are not fundamentally involved in blood pressure regulation.

Adrenergic Fibers