Using healthy volunteers, we examined the influence of emulsified oil and a low concentration of CO2 gas on cutaneous blood flow in the forearm. The forearm of each subject was immersed in 25 liters of warm water containing either 10 ppm emulsified oil or 60 ppm CO2 gas or both. Forearm cutaneous blood flow was measured for 20 minutes. Emulsified oil had no effect on cutaneous blood flow, whereas CO2 gas caused a gradual and significant increase. When CO2 gas was used with emulsified oil, cutaneous blood flow was significantly increased in comparison to CO2 alone, suggesting that emulsified oil enhances the vasodilation caused by CO2. We then prepared bath salts releasing CO2 and emulsified oil, and tested for their influence on sweating function in sixteen healthy adults. Each subject bathed daily 10 minutes either in tap water (control group) or in tap water dissolving bath salts releasing CO2 and emulsified oil (bath-salts group) at 40°C for successive 14 days. A sweating test was performed before and after the session of bathing. In the bath-salts group, the baseline tympanic temperature after successive bathing tended to be lower than that before successive bathing. Although the rise of body temperature during the heat exposure was not different between the groups, sweating rate was significantly greater after successive bathing. The analysis of the rate of sweat expulsion suggested that the greater sweat rate after the successive bathing is mediated by the central mechanism for sweating. Such changes were not observed in the control group. Thus, successive bathing using bath salts that release CO2 and emulsified oil may have a beneficial effect on sweating function.

Ascites is a rare sign of aortic valve disease. Here, we report two cases of refractory ascites that had resulted from aortic stenosis and insufficiency and consequently improved after aortic valve replacement. The first case was a 44-year-old female who had undergone aortic valve repair for aortic stenosis 15 years earlier. She complained of dyspnea and severe abdominal distension due to unimproved massive ascites despite medical therapy. She was diagnosed with aortic stenosis and insufficiency and functional tricuspid insufficiency as well as complete atrioventricular block. She underwent mechanical aortic valve replacement, tricuspid annuloplasty and DDD pacemaker implantation. The second case was a 61-year-old man with a history of alcoholic liver disease who had been hospitalized for massive ascites, progressing rapidly in spite of aggressive medical therapy. Echocardiography revealed severe aortic stenosis and insufficiency; thus, he underwent bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement. Both patients were completely free from ascites about 6 months after surgery.