Partial involvement of nitric oxide synthase in increased pilocarpine-induced sweating in exercise-trained men.

The physiological mechanisms involved in augmented cholinergic agonist-induced sweating in exercise-trained individuals remain unclear. This study hypothesizes that nitric oxide synthase (NOS) contributes to augmented pilocarpine-induced sweating in habitually exercise-trained individuals. Endurance-trained and untrained men ( n  = 15 each) iontophoretically received 1% L-NAME, a NOS inhibitor, and saline (control) in the forearm and then administered 0.001% and 1% pilocarpine to evaluate sweat rate. L-NAME administration attenuated pilocarpine-induced sweating by 10% in the exercise-trained ( P  = 0.004) but not in untrained ( P  = 0.764) groups independent of pilocarpine concentrations. Results indicate that NOS partially contributes to increased cholinergic sweating in exercise-trained men.
Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. All conflicts of interest declared on the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) forms.