title: Epinephrine enhancement of potassium-stimulated immunoreactive insulin secretion. Role of beta-adrenergic receptors.
abstract: Although epinephrine stimulates insulin release by activation of beta-adrenergic receptors, its dominant effect (mediated by stimulation of alpha-adrenergic receptors) is an inhibition of insulin secretion that is powerful enough to suppress the secretory activity of insulin's most potent stimulants. The insulin-secretory response to potassium chloride (KCl) infusion, however, is not suppressed; in fact, in ureter-ligated dogs simultaneously infused with 360 microgram. epinephrine per hour and 2 mEq. KCl per kilogram per hour, insulin release is actually increased about threefold (over controls). Propranolol blockade of beta-adrenergic receptors essentially abolishes the insulin response to KCl infusion, with and without epinephrine. It is unlikely that KCl, like epinephrine, provokes insulin release by direct stimulation of the beta-adrenergic receptors of the beta cells of the pancreatic islets. However, potassium in some way enhances the beta adrenergic (secretory) activity of epinephrine and blunts its usually dominant alpha-adrenergic (inhibitory) effect.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004285:Dogs; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007330:Insulin Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000378:metabolism*; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007330:Insulin Antibodies; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D011433:Propranolol; D011188:Potassium; D004837:Epinephrine