Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol 57, Issue 2 165-176, Copyright © 1995 by American Psychosomatic Society

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Acute psychological stress and epinephrine infusion in normolipidemic and hyperlipidemic men: effects on plasma lipid and apoprotein concentrations

BS McCann, MS Magee, FC Broyles, M Vaughan, JJ Albers and RH Knopp
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98101-1827, USA.

This study examined whether psychological stress and the infusion of epinephrine increase plasma lipid and apoprotein concentrations in normolipidemic and hyperlipidemic men. Subjects were studied during three separate 6-hour laboratory sessions: a control session, during which subjects rested quietly while blood samples and hemodynamic measurements were obtained; a stress session, during which subjects were presented with two challenging mental tasks, followed by quiet rest; and an epinephrine infusion session, during which subjects received a low-dose infusion of epinephrine followed by quiet rest. The stress and epinephrine infusion manipulations produced the expected changes in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels, blood pressure, and heart rate. Free fatty acid concentration increased markedly during epinephrine infusion and less dramatically but consistently during mental stress. Both stress and epinephrine infusion produced acute increases in plasma total, low-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apoprotein B concentrations, but comparable increases during the control session were not observed. Changes in albumin concentration (an index of plasma volume) were associated with changes in lipid concentrations during psychological stress. Epinephrine increases during psychological stress were correlated with increases in free fatty acid and triglyceride levels both during and after task administration. It was concluded that psychological or pharmacological stress induced in the laboratory produces changes in lipid concentrations, which at least during psychological stress, may be attributed to concomitant changes in plasma volume. The association between task-induced changes in epinephrine and changes in free fatty acid and triglyceride levels, also supports the hypothesis that psychological stress increases lipolysis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. A. Boscarino A Prospective Study of PTSD and Early-Age Heart Disease Mortality Among Vietnam Veterans: Implications for Surveillance and Prevention Psychosom Med, July 1, 2008; 70(6): 668 - 676. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Dallongeville, D. Cottel, J. Ferrieres, D. Arveiler, A. Bingham, J. B. Ruidavets, B. Haas, P. Ducimetiere, and P. Amouyel Household Income Is Associated With the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in a Sex-Specific Manner Diabetes Care, February 1, 2005; 28(2): 409 - 415. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. A. Bachen, M. F. Muldoon, K. A. Matthews, and S. B. Manuck Effects of Hemoconcentration and Sympathetic Activation on Serum Lipid Responses to Brief Mental Stress Psychosom Med, July 1, 2002; 64(4): 587 - 594. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Le Fur, M. Romon, P. Lebel, P. Devos, A. Lancry, L. Guedon-Moreau, J.-C. Fruchart, and J. Dallongeville Influence of mental stress and circadian cycle on postprandial lipemia Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 1999; 70(2): 213 - 220. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]