Abstract
The present study was conducted to determine if glucagon release is involved in the
hyperglycemic response to epinephrine and isoproterenol in the fasted and fed, unanesthetized
rabbit. Epinephrine produced dose-related increases in plasma glucose and glucagon
levels in fed and fasted rabbits whereas isoprotereol produced modest hyperglycemia
without hyperglucagonemia. Infusion of somatostatin suppressed epinephrine-induced
glucagon release and this was correlated with a 50% reduction in the hyperglycemic
response.
These data suggest that epinephrine-induced glucagon release is the primary reason
for the difference in hyperglycemic activity between epinephrine and isoproterenol
in the unanesthetized rabbit.
Key words
Catecholamines - Glucagon Release - Hyperglycemic Activity - Somatostatin - Rabbits
1 Present address: Department of Pharmacology, The University of Kansas Medical Center,
College of Health Sciences and Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas 66103, USA
2 Present address: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University
School of Medicine, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
3 Presented in part at the International Symposium on Somatostatin in Freiburg/Br.,
Germany
