482 V. BLOOD LIPIDS 



may result as a consequence of tumors or other lesions of the hypothala- 

 mus. In fact, Brobeck and his co-workers 786,787 produced adiposity in rats 

 by experimental injury to this area of the brain. However, no abnormal- 

 ity in fat metabolism is associated with this obesity, as the animals utilized 

 the foodstuff normally; moreover, no significant increase in blood lipids 

 was noted. Obesity occurred simply as a result of continued overeating. 786 

 Man and Peters 607 have suggested that hyperlipemia may result from lesions 

 of the hypothalamus in man, and that this may account for the autonomic 

 instability which is sometimes associated with clinical diabetes. De 

 Langen 788 states that, because hyperlipemia occurs in sulfonal narcosis, 

 the blood lipids must be controlled by the central nervous system. How- 

 ever, the weight of evidence indicates that, if any control of the level of 

 blood lipids is mediated by the central nervous system, it is an indirect 

 effect. 



Some workers have attributed to the higher nerve centers a function 

 related to serum lipids. However, there is little decisive information as to 

 changes in blood lipids in psychoses. Fatty acids and cholesterol have been 

 reported to be low in schizophrenia. 789 On the other hand, in manic depres- 

 sive psychoses, these blood lipids tended to be high. Schube 790 reported 

 wide variations of blood cholesterol in manic depressive psychoses, the 

 low values being found in the manic phase and the high ones being at- 

 tributed to the depressive phase of the disease. These and other re- 

 ports, 218 - 791 appear to agree that the fasting, as well as the postprandial 

 values of the blood lipids are higher than normal. 



Some workers 792 have been unable to demonstrate any relation be- 

 tween the serum cholesterol level and the development of convulsive seiz- 

 ures in epilepsy, or between the cholesterol and lecithin content of the 

 blood and the clinical findings, in cerebrospinal syphilis and dementia 

 paralytica. 793 However, Pezzali 794 claimed that serum cholesterol values 

 decrease during epileptic seizures, while Robinson et a/. 419 state that the 



786 J. R. Brobeck, J. Tepperman, and C. N. H. Long, Yale J. Biol. Med., 15, 831-853 

 (1943). 



787 J. Tepperman, J. R. Brobeck, and C. N. H. Long, Yale J. Biol. Med., 15, 854-874 

 (1943). 



788 C. D. De Langen, Acta Med. Scand., 97, 427-439 (1938). 



789 E. F. Gildea, E. B. Man, and R. W. Biach, Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 43, 932-947 

 (1940). 



790 P. G. Schube, J. Lab. Clin. Med., 22, 240-245 (1936-1937). 



791 D. Slight, C. N. H. Long, and R. W. Salter, .4m. ./. Psychiat, 13, 141-152 (1933). 



792 I. McOuarrie, W. R. Bloor, C. Husted, and H. A. Patterson, /. Clin. Invest, 12, 

 247-254; 255-265(1933). 



793 I. Rosen, F. Krasnow, and J. Notkin, Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 28, 399-404 (1932). 



794 G. Pezzali, Riforma med. (Napoli), 39, 433-437 (1923). 



