ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of Cold Air on Serum Catecholamine
Levels in Patients with Cardiovascular
or Cerebrovascular Disease
Ye Ruan1, 2, Li Zhang2, Jingping Niu2, Shigong Wang3
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1 College of Earth and environmental Sciences,
2 School of Public Health,
3 College of Atmospheric Sciences,
Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2013;22(5):1473-1478
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
This study analyzes the effects of cold air on catecholamine (CA) levels. The CA levels of patients with
cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, healthy people, Wistar rats, and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats were
determined before, during, and after cold air activity. The levels of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and
adrenaline (AD in humans and experimental animals changed in all three periods of cold air activity. The
change in DA levels was statistically significant (P<0.05). The DA, NE, and AD levels in the controls and the
Wistar rats increased during cold air activity and decreased after cold air activity. The variation in CA levels
was not exactly the same between the SHR rats and the cardio-cerebrovascular disease patients. The special
meteorological conditions caused by cold air affects CA secretion, which induces the occurrence, develop-
ment, and outcome of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Moreover, the results of the animal experiments could
not be directly extrapolated to humans.