Table 5.
Basal noradrenaline and MHPG levels, as compared to controls.
| References | Group | Plasma NE | Urinary NE | Adipose tissue NE | Plasma MHPG | Urinary MHPG | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartak et al. (2004) | AN | NS | ↑ | Basal plasma NE levels were not different between AN and control groups, but controls demonstrated increased NE levels during exercise. The local SNS activity in abdominal adipose tissue was increased in AN patients | |||
| D'Andrea et al. (2008) | AN | ↓ | Individuals with AN and BN demonstrated decreased basal levels of urinary NE compared to controls. AN and BN differed in other measures of biochemical profile | ||||
| De Rosa et al. (1983) | AN | ↓ | Decreased basal urinary NE was accompanied by multiple endocrine abnormalities in AN which are consistent with hypothalamic dysfunction | ||||
| Dostalova et al. (2007) | AN | NS | No difference in basal or exercise-induced plasma NE levels between individuals with AN and controls | ||||
| Gross et al. (1979) | AN | ↓ | ↓ | Plasma NE and urinary excretion of MHPG were lower in AN group than controls but increased to normal levels after weight restoration, suggesting that they were secondary to malnutrition and not etiological factors | |||
| AN-WR | NS | NS | |||||
| Kaye et al. (1990) | AN (T1) | NS | No difference in basal NE levels between individuals with acute AN, during refeeding or after weight restoration, compared to controls | ||||
| AN-WR (T2) | NS | ||||||
| Kaye et al. (1985) | AN-WR | ↓ | ↓ | Reduced noradrenergic activity was present in long-term weight restored individuals | |||
| Lechin et al. (2010) | AN | NR | Individuals with AN demonstrated predominance of circulating adrenaline over NE during resting, orthostasis and exercise | ||||
| Lesem et al. (1989) | AN (time 1) | Supine NS; Orthostatic ↑ | Patients with AN had elevated plasma NE levels at hospital admission, which gradually declined over 3 weeks of treatment | ||||
| AN-WR (time 2) | Supine NS; Orthostatic ↓ | ||||||
| Luck et al. (1983) | AN | ↓ | Resting plasma NE levels were reduced in patients with AN, which may be a consequence of SNS suppression in response to starvation | ||||
| Nedvidkova et al. (2004) | AN | NS | ↑ | Patients with AN demonstrated increased basal adipose tissue NE levels, but no difference in plasma NE levels, demonstrating the existence of different SNS activity at whole body level and at adipose tissue level | |||
| Pirke et al. (1992) | AN | ↓ | Basal plasma NE levels were lower in AN and AN-WR individuals, compared to HCs. Patients with AN also demonstrated a lower plasma NE to a test meal. Plasma NE was negatively correlated with 'eating restraint', which may be the causal factor for NE suppression despite weight restoration | ||||
| AN-WR | ↓ | ||||||
| Riederer et al. (1982) | AN (T1) | ↓ | Food intake and body composition influence urinary MHPG, with normalization after treatment | ||||
| AN-WR (T2) | NS | ||||||
| Van Binsbergen et al. (1991) | AN | Supine ↑; Orthostatic NS | ↓ | NS | Patients with AN had higher plasma NE levels at rest but a normal NE plasma response to an orthostatic challenge. AN patients had lower urinary NE excretion levels than lean controls, which may reflect an altered metabolism of biogenic amines. |
AN, anorexia nervosa; AN-WR, previous diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, weight-restored; BP, blood pressure; BPV, blood pressure variability; BRS, baroreflex sensitivity; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HC, healthy controls; LF, low frequency; NE, noradrenaline; NR, not reported; NS, not significant; PNS, parasympathetic nervous system; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SNS, sympathetic nervous system.