Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
. 1993 Jul;36(1):25–30. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1993.tb05887.x

Effects of physiological and pharmacological variation of sympathetic nervous system activity on plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations in man.

P Barbe 1, J Galitzky 1, D Riviere 1, J M Senard 1, M Lafontan 1, M Garrigues 1, M Berlan 1
PMCID: PMC1364550  PMID: 8373709

Abstract

1. The consequence of the sympatholytic effect of clonidine (alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist) was compared with the effect of a physiological inhibition of sympathetic nervous system activity (change from upright to supine position) on plasma catecholamine and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations in overnight fasting healthy men. 2. Clonidine (150 micrograms orally) administered in upright position induced a significant reduction of plasma noradrenaline and NEFA concentrations. A change from upright to supine position which provoked a more marked decrease in plasma noradrenaline concentrations induced a weak increase in plasma NEFA concentrations. 3. The modification of plasma NEFA and catecholamine concentrations brought about by standing up was studied after placebo or yohimbine (alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist) administration. With placebo, standing up promotes a 100% increase in plasma noradrenaline concentrations (measured 5 and 15 min after rising) and a weak transient decrease in plasma NEFA concentrations (5 min after rising). In the supine position, yohimbine increased plasma noradrenaline and NEFA concentrations by about 100% and 55% respectively. Standing after yohimbine administration promoted large increases in plasma noradrenaline and NEFA concentrations. 4. These results indicate that a reduction of sympathetic nervous activity is not associated with a decrease of plasma NEFA concentrations and argue for a role of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the NEFA mobilization from adipose tissue after sympathetic nervous system activation in man.

Full text

PDF
30

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arner P., Kriegholm E., Engfeldt P. In situ studies of catecholamine-induced lipolysis in human adipose tissue using microdialysis. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1990 Jul;254(1):284–288. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Belfrage E., Hjemdahl P., Fredholm B. B. Metabolic effects of blood flow restriction in adipose tissue. Acta Physiol Scand. 1979 Feb;105(2):222–227. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1979.tb06334.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Belfrage E. Vasodilatation and modulation of vasoconstriction in canine subcutaneous adipose tissue caused by activation of beta-adrenoceptors. Acta Physiol Scand. 1978 Apr;102(4):459–468. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1978.tb06094.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Berlan M., Galitzky J., Riviere D., Foureau M., Tran M. A., Flores R., Louvet J. P., Houin G., Lafontan M. Plasma catecholamine levels and lipid mobilization induced by yohimbine in obese and non-obese women. Int J Obes. 1991 May;15(5):305–315. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chatelut E., Rispail Y., Berlan M., Montastruc J. L. Yohimbine increases human salivary secretion. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1989 Sep;28(3):366–368. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1989.tb05440.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cryer P. E. Isotope-derivative measurements of plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine in man. Diabetes. 1976 Nov;25(11):1071–1082. doi: 10.2337/diab.25.11.1071. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Damase-Michel C., Valet P., Montastruc J. L. Nicardipine causes sympathetic activation that does not involve baroreceptor reflex tachycardia in conscious sinoaortic-denervated dogs. Eur J Pharmacol. 1987 Oct 6;142(1):145–149. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(87)90665-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fain J. N., Garcĩa-Sáinz J. A. Adrenergic regulation of adipocyte metabolism. J Lipid Res. 1983 Aug;24(8):945–966. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Featherstone J. A., Veith R. C., Flatness D., Murburg M. M., Villacres E. C., Halter J. B. Age and alpha-2 adrenergic regulation of plasma norepinephrine kinetics in humans. J Gerontol. 1987 May;42(3):271–276. doi: 10.1093/geronj/42.3.271. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Galitzky J., Taouis M., Berlan M., Rivière D., Garrigues M., Lafontan M. Alpha 2-antagonist compounds and lipid mobilization: evidence for a lipid mobilizing effect of oral yohimbine in healthy male volunteers. Eur J Clin Invest. 1988 Dec;18(6):587–594. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1988.tb01272.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Goldberg M. R., Hollister A. S., Robertson D. Influence of yohimbine on blood pressure, autonomic reflexes, and plasma catecholamines in humans. Hypertension. 1983 Sep-Oct;5(5):772–778. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.5.5.772. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Grunhaus L., Tiongco D., Zelnik T., Flegel P., Hollingsworth P. J., Smith C. B. Intravenous yohimbine. Selective enhancer of norepinephrine and cortisol secretion and systolic blood pressure in humans. Clin Neuropharmacol. 1989 Apr;12(2):106–114. doi: 10.1097/00002826-198904000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kather H., Zöllig K., Simon B., Schlierf G. Human fat cell adenylate cyclase: regional differences in adrenaline responsiveness. Eur J Clin Invest. 1977 Dec;7(6):595–597. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1977.tb01657.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Keller U., Weiss M., Stauffacher W. Contribution of alpha- and beta-receptors to ketogenic and lipolytic effects of norepinephrine in humans. Diabetes. 1989 Apr;38(4):454–459. doi: 10.2337/diab.38.4.454. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Klein S., Peters E. J., Holland O. B., Wolfe R. R. Effect of short- and long-term beta-adrenergic blockade on lipolysis during fasting in humans. Am J Physiol. 1989 Jul;257(1 Pt 1):E65–E73. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.1989.257.1.E65. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kovach A. G., Kovach E., Sandor P., Spitzer J. A., Spitzer J. J. Metabolic responses to localized ischemia in adipose tissue. J Surg Res. 1976 Jan;20(1):37–44. doi: 10.1016/0022-4804(76)90081-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lake C. R., Ziegler M. G., Kopin I. J. Use of plasma norepinephrine for evaluation of sympathetic neuronal function in man. Life Sci. 1976 Jun 1;18(11):1315–1325. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(76)90210-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Langer S. Z. Presynaptic regulation of the release of catecholamines. Pharmacol Rev. 1980 Dec;32(4):337–362. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Liggett S. B., Shah S. D., Cryer P. E. Human tissue adrenergic receptors are not predictive of responses to epinephrine in vivo. Am J Physiol. 1989 May;256(5 Pt 1):E600–E609. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.1989.256.5.E600. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Mauriege P., Galitzky J., Berlan M., Lafontan M. Heterogeneous distribution of beta and alpha-2 adrenoceptor binding sites in human fat cells from various fat deposits: functional consequences. Eur J Clin Invest. 1987 Apr;17(2):156–165. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1987.tb02395.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Montastruc P., Berlan M., Montastruc J. L. Effects of yohimbine on submaxillary salivation in dogs. Br J Pharmacol. 1989 Sep;98(1):101–104. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1989.tb16868.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Peskind E. R., Veith R. C., Dorsa D. M., Gumbrecht G., Raskind M. A. Yohimbine increases cerebrospinal fluid and plasma norepinephrine but not arginine vasopressin in humans. Neuroendocrinology. 1989 Sep;50(3):286–291. doi: 10.1159/000125235. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Richelsen B. Increased alpha 2- but similar beta-adrenergic receptor activities in subcutaneous gluteal adipocytes from females compared with males. Eur J Clin Invest. 1986 Aug;16(4):302–309. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1986.tb01346.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Scheurink A. J., Steffens A. B., Dreteler G. H., Benthem L., Bruntink R. Experience affects exercise-induced changes in catecholamines, glucose, and FFA. Am J Physiol. 1989 Jan;256(1 Pt 2):R169–R173. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.1989.256.1.R169. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Zahorska-Markiewicz B., Kucio C., Piskorska D. Adrenergic control of lipolysis and metabolic responses in obesity. Horm Metab Res. 1986 Oct;18(10):693–697. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-1012409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES