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

STUDY DESIGN

Experimental study.

OBJECTIVES

To compare lipid metabolism in individuals with a cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and able-bodied (AB) persons in response to mild cold stress.

SETTINGS

Laboratory of Wakayama Medical University, Japan.

METHODS

Nine males with SCI 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]), total ketone bodies ([tKB]), insulin ([Ins]) and plasma adrenaline ([Ad]), noradrenaline ([NA]) and glucose ([Glc]) were assessed.

RESULTS

[Ad] in SCI were lower than AB throughout the study (p = 0.0002) and remained largely unchanged in both groups. [NA] increased after cold stress in AB only (p < 0.0001; GxT p = 0.006). [FFA] increased by 62% immediately after cold stress in SCI (p = 0.0028), without a difference between groups (p = 0.65). [tKB] increased by 69% at post-CS60 and 132% at post-CS120 from the start in SCI with no differences between groups (p = 0.54). [Glc] and [Ins] were reduced in SCIc only (GxT p = 0.003 and p = 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

These data indicate that mild cold stress acutely elevates lipid and ketone body metabolism in persons with SCIc, despite the presence of sympathetic dysfunction.

© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International Spinal Cord Society.