Abstract
Study design
Experimental study.
Objectives
To compare lipid metabolism in individuals with a cervical spinal cord injury (SCIC) and able-bodied (AB) persons in response to mild cold stress.
Settings
Laboratory of Wakayama Medical University, Japan.
Methods
Nine males with SCIC 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.
Results
[Ad]p in SCIC 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 SCIC (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 SCIC 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).
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.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Mr. Shinji Kawasaki for the recruitment of study participants. We thank Mrs. Daisuke Kojima, Makoto Kawanishi, Takashi Moriki, Yasuhisa Fujita, and Ryosuke Miyake for their support with data collection.
Funding
This study was supported by grants from the Joint Usage/Research Center of Sport for Persons with Impairments, authorized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan, to VLG-T in 2015 and Nachikatsuura Research Foundation (L1221) to FT. JWvdS is based in The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute), University of Cambridge. THIS Institute is supported by the Health Foundation, an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and healthcare for people in the UK.
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KN, Y-iK, VLG-T, YN, and FT conceived and designed research. KN, Y-iK, JWvdS, TKi and TK performed the experiments. KN and Y-iK analyzed the data. KN, Y-iK, JWvdS, TKi, VLG-T, YN, SH and FT interpreted the results. KN prepared the figures. KN and Y-iK drafted the manuscript. All authors edited and revised the manuscript and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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The authors declare no competing interests.
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The study protocol and the methods applied in this study conformed to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and were approved by the Review Board on Human Experiments, Wakayama Medical University.
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Informed consent for inclusion in this study was obtained from the participants.
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Nishiyama, K., Kamijo, Yi., van der Scheer, J.W. et al. Lipid metabolism after mild cold stress in persons with a cervical spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord 60, 978–983 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-022-00788-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-022-00788-9
