Background: Endothelial cells express various fibrinolytic factors such as tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), which play an important role in adequate blood clot formation. Hand massage is a common nursing technique, and previously it has been reported that aroma hand massage has various effects, such as a sedative effect, on the autonomic nervous system. However, a preventive effect of aroma hand massage against thrombosis has not been reported.

Aims: In the present study, to evaluate the effect of aroma hand massage on prevention of thrombosis, changes in plasma concentrations of PAI-1, which is produced by endothelial cells and functions as a physiological inhibitor to t-PA, were measured before and after aroma hand massage for different lengths of time.

Methods: In these experiments two percent of rosemary (400 µl) was used for each hand massage. We divided healthy volunteers into 5 min, 10 min and 20 min aroma hand massage groups, and obtained plasma samples from the subjects of each group before, immediately after, 10 min after and 20 min after each aroma hand massage. Plasma PAI-1 concentration was measured using a commercially available ELISA kit.

Results: For 5 min and 10 min aroma hand massage, plasma PAI-1 concentration was not significantly changed at any time point as compared with before aroma hand massage. However, in the case of 10 min after 20 min aroma hand massage, plasma PAI-1 concentration was significantly decreased as compared with before aroma hand massage.

Conclusions: These results suggest that 20 min aroma hand massage reduced PAI-1 expression from endothelial cells and/or secretion of PAI-1 from endothelial cells, and aroma hand massage has a preventive effect against thrombosis.

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ISTH Congress Abstracts - https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/effect-of-aroma-hand-massage-on-the-plasma-concentration-of-plasminogen-activator-inhibitor-1-produced-by-endothelial-cells-in-healthy-subjects/