How Oral Contraceptive Pill Phase Alters Microvascular Response to Local Heating

In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, we hear from coauthor Casey G. Turner about the study, "Oral contraceptive pill phase alters mechanisms contributing to cutaneous microvascular function in response to local heating." Published in AJP–Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, this study investigates the effect of OCP phase on in vivo microvascular endothelium-dependent vasodilation and explores underlying mechanisms. Present findings suggest OCP phase does not affect overall microvascular endothelium-dependent dilation but does affect the underlying mechanisms. In women using OCP, there is a robust reliance on EDHF pathways and the COX pathway moderates basal microvascular blood flow and demonstrates a phase-dependent restraint of the NO pathway.

 

Oral contraceptive pill phase alters mechanisms contributing to cutaneous microvascular function in response to local heating

Casey G. Turner, Anna E. Stanhewicz, Karen E. Nielsen, Jeffrey S. Otis, Rafaela G. Feresin, and Brett J. Wong

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 2025 328:3, R374-R385