In this study, we investigated the effects of L-Arginine, which increases the production of nitricoxide (NO) with vasodilative actions, on forearm bathing. The subjects were 12 healthy adult males with 24±1 years old. We compared the changes of blood pressure, heart rate, deep/superficial temperatures, and dermal blood flow by forearm batlmg with or without the oral ingestion of 2000mg L-Arginine. After a 30-minute rest following ingestion, the subjects took a forearm bathing ; immersion of the right forearm below the elbow in 41°C hot water for 15 minutes. There were no significant differences neither in blood pressure, heart rate, nor sublingual temperature between the changes by L-Arginine and water ingestion. Although the superficial temperature of the left toe was significarttly increased 15 minutes after the start of bathing regardless of the presence or absence of L-Arginine (p<0.01), the increase with L-Argilline ingestion was significantly greater (p<0.01) than that without L-Arginine. Furthemore, an increase in left dorsal skin blood flow after 10 to 15 minutes bathing with L-Arginine was more marked than that without L-Arginine. The increasing ratio of blood flow after 15 minutes of right forearm bathing against pre-bathing value was significantly higher (p<0.05) in case with L-Argitme than that in its absence. These results suggest that the oral administration of L-Arginine accelerates thermal vasodilative effects during forearm bathing.

 Blood glucose disposition rate after intravenous glucose infusion is considered to reflect mainly the rate of cellular glucose uptake, the rate of glucose degradation process and gluconeogenesis. excluding the influense of glucose absorption.
 When it is hypothesized that the elevated blood glucose is disposed by constant rate (one-compartment theory), the following formula will be realized.
 Ct = A (1— k)^t   Ct = blood glucose level at t-minutes after infusion
            A = initial glucose level after infusion
            k = constant glucose disposition index / min
 log Ct = log A (1—k) ^t= log A + t log (1 — k)
 This formula demonstrates that logarithm of blood glucose concentration (Ct) is a one-dimensional (linear) function of time t with a slope log (1 — k), and blood glucose disposition index k can be calculated from this slope.
 To examine the validity of this hypothesis, 1.5 ml / kg of 20% glucose (0.3g / kg) was infused at rest within 3 minutes into an antecubital vein and plasma glucose was determinned at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 min after the cessation of infusion.
 In 10 healthy subjects, linear regression coefficient between logarithm of plasma glucose and time t was significantly higher (r= 0.992 ± 0.006, p<0.001) during 5 to 40 min. Calculated k index ranged from 0.78 to 4.54% / min and the correlation between the 1st and the 2nd measurements (n=5) within a week was also significantly high (0.92±0.06, p<0.01). These results highly support the validity of basic formula (one-compartment theory) and practical procedure to measure k index.
 The effects of warm water bathing (42 C, 10min) was examined in 7 subjects keeping warmth by blankets. After bathing, k value remained in nearly the same in 4 subjects, decreased in 2 and increased in 1. Although more detailed studies are needed, the effect of single bathing on glucose disposition seems to be not so significant.