In its simplest terms, obesity is the results of a positive balance between food intake and
energy expenditure (EE). I.e., we take in more energy, in the form of food, than we expend,
e.g., by exercise. In our sedentary society, resting EE accounts for most of total energy
expenditure. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS, the one that produces adrenaline) is
thought to contribute to resting EE. This conclusion is based on experiments where resting EE
is decreased by beta-blockers, high blood pressure medicines that block only one aspect of
the sympathetic nervous system. The investigators propose to use a different approach, by
using a medication called trimethaphan that produces transient withdrawal of the autonomic
nervous system. The investigators will then compare the measured resting EE before and after
SNS withdraw and quantify the degree of contribution to the resting EE by the SNS and
delineate differences between healthy normal, healthy obese, and patients with autonomic
dysfunctions.
Phase:
Phase 1
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University Medical Center