Lipid metabolism after mild cold stress in persons with a cervical spinal cord injury.

Abstract

Experimental study. To compare lipid metabolism in individuals with a cervical spinal cord injury (SCI_C) and able-bodied (AB) persons in response to mild cold stress. Laboratory of Wakayama Medical University, Japan. Nine males with SCI_C and 11 AB wore a water-perfusion suit in a supine position. Following 30-min rest thermoneutrality, the whole body was cooled by perfusing 25 °C water through the suit for 15-20 min (CS). Blood samples were collected before, immediately, and 60 (post-CS60) and 120 min after CS (post-CS120). Concentrations of serum free fatty acid ([FFA]_s), total ketone bodies ([tKB]_s), insulin ([Ins]_s) and plasma adrenaline ([Ad]_p), noradrenaline ([NA]_p) and glucose ([Glc]_p) were assessed. [Ad]_p in SCI_C were lower than AB throughout the study (p = 0.0002) and remained largely unchanged in both groups. [NA]_p increased after cold stress in AB only (p < 0.0001; GxT p = 0.006). [FFA]_s increased by 62% immediately after cold stress in SCI_C (p = 0.0028), without a difference between groups (p = 0.65). [tKB]_s increased by 69% at post-CS60 and 132% at post-CS120 from the start in SCI_C with no differences between groups (p = 0.54). [Glc]_p and [Ins]_s were reduced in SCIc only (GxT p = 0.003 and p = 0.001, respectively). These data indicate that mild cold stress acutely elevates lipid and ketone body metabolism in persons with SCIc, despite the presence of sympathetic dysfunction.