Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a clinical treatment in which a patient breathes pure oxygen for a limited period of time at an increased pressure. This therapy has been suggested to improve oxygen supply to tissues and therefore improves microcirculation [38].

How is microcirculation controlled?

Regulation. The regulation of tissue perfusion occurs in microcirculation. There, arterioles control the flow of blood to the capillaries. Arterioles contract and relax, varying their diameter and vascular tone, as the vascular smooth muscle responds to diverse stimuli.

What are causes of microcirculation?

b Microcirculatory damage can be caused by ischemia, reperfusion, inflammation, and hypoxia, resulting in endothelial and glycocalyx and RBC damage. Activation of leukocytes induces rolling, adhesion, and ultimately extravasation to the tissue, which further accelerates the inflammation.