Association between sympathetic activity and the atherogenic serum cholesterol fraction.
A possible modulating influence of noradrenergic activity on serum lipoproteins was assessed under placebo conditions and following 4 weeks of sympathetic neurone blockade with debrisoquine in 9 normal subjects, 11 patients with mild essential hypertension, 9 normotensive, and 9 hypertensive hemodialysis patients. Plasma norepinephrine (NE) did not differ significantly among groups on placebo and was consistently reduced (P less than 0.05-0.001) by sympathetic blockade. The latter also decreased (P less than 0.05-0.001) plasma total cholesterol (C) as well as low and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL + VLDL-C) in the three patient groups. In the two dialysis groups, basal levels of plasma triglycerides (Tg) were increased and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was diminished (P less than 0.01-0.001); sympathetic blockade lowered Tg and raised HDL-C (P less than 0.01-0.001). In normal subjects, sympathetic blockade did not significantly modify plasma lipoproteins. In the three patient groups, significant correlations (r = 0.62 - 0.88; P less than 0.05 - less than 0.001) existed between (a) basal plasma NE and total C or LDL + VLDL-C and (b) debrisoquine-induced changes in NE and changes in total LDL + VLDL-C. These findings suggest that in essential hypertension as well as in hemodialysis patients, the atherogenic C fraction, represented by LDL + VLDL-C, may be modulated by the noradrenergic activity.
Weidmann
P
P
Medizinisch Poliklinik, Universität Bern, Switzerland.
Schohn
D C
DC
Riesen
W
W
Jahn
H A
HA
Ferrari
P
P
Shaw
S G
SG
Beretta-Piccoli
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003647:Debrisoquin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000503:physiopathology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL; D002784:Cholesterol; D003647:Debrisoquin; D009638:Norepinephrine