Effects of high spinal cord transection on serum lipid levels

The effect of the central nervous system on regulation of serum lipid, glucose, and protein levels under basal conditions and after excitement, or cold exposure, was studied in 11 normal dogs and in 4 of the 11 after spinal cord transection at level C-6.Serum total cholesterol, “Β-” (−S 20–40), and “high-density α-” (−S 1–5) lipoprotein concentrations determined weekly for 5 months in two normal dogs varied little; −S 5–10 and −S 10–20 lipoproteins were less stable. For 1–3 weeks after cord transection, serum cholesterol and α-lipoprotein concentrations decreased along with weight loss. After weight stabilization they returned to near control levels and remained there.Levels of plasma free fatty acids (FFA) were low and of glucose were normal for several weeks after cord section; after several months the levels of FFA were consistently high and glucose became progressively lower than normal.Short periods of excitement caused increased plasma FFA and glucose levels in normal dogs, but only slightly increased FFA in spinal cord-transected animals. Two hours of cold exposure caused the same response in normal dogs as did excitement; in cord-transected dogs both plasma FFA and plasma glucose decreased.