Analysis of Catecholamine Content and Lipid Metabolism Parameters in the Indigenous and Local Russian Population of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation

The study of fat metabolism and the levels of sympathoadrenal hormones in the indigenous population of the Arctic presently changing their lifestyle from nomadic to sedentary is undoubtedly of practical interest. The purpose of this article was to conduct a comparative analysis of the content of catecholamines, triglycerides and saturated fatty acids in the inhabitants of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, depending on their lifestyle (nomadic indigenous people, sedentary indigenous people, and local Russian population), age and sex. Materials and methods. The study involved 472 subjects: men and women of the first (men: 22–35 years old; women: 21–35 years old) and second (men: 36–60 years old; women: 36–55 years old) periods of adulthood, leading different lifestyles. The following were determined in the blood serum: triglyceride concentrations using the enzymatic method; level of saturated fatty acids (ƩSFA) using gas-liquid chromatography, followed by а calculation of the content of short-, medium- and long-chain saturated fatty acids (ƩSCFA, ƩMCFA, ƩLCFA). Urine levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline were determined by means of fluorimetry. Results. Regardless of their lifestyle, adult subjects, primarily women, showed high adrenaline values, low triglyceride concentrations and elevated ƩSFA. Correlation analysis established a negative association of adrenaline with ƩLCFA and ƩSFA in sedentary indigenous women aged 21–35 years and with ƩMCFA in those aged 36–55 years. In local Russian women aged 36–55 years, on the contrary, a positive association of noradrenaline with ƩSCFA, ƩMCFA, ƩLCFA and ƩSFA was found. No statistically significant correlations were identified in nomadic indigenous women. Unlike women, men had a correlation between adrenaline content and ƩMCFA only among local Russians: negative in 22–35-year-olds and positive in 36–60-year-olds with high noradrenaline levels. On the one hand, low triglyceride values and elevated ƩSFA among residents of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation maintain the energy homeostasis of the body. On the other hand, they lead to overweight and obesity, which increases the risk of new-onset metabolic dysfunction-associated diseases, especially in women.