Alpha-adrenergic agonists stimulate neonatal glucose production less than beta-adrenergic agonists in the lamb.
Epinephrine, a catecholamine with both alpha (alpha)- and beta (beta)-adrenergic agonist effects, may produce clinical hyperglycemia in the adult by increasing glucose production and decreasing glucose clearance. However, the relative contribution of alpha v beta adrenergic agonists in control of neonatal glucose kinetics has not been defined. Twenty-three term lambs (weighing 4.4 +/- 0.2 kg, mean +/- SEM, and aged 3.8 +/- 0.4 days) were infused with 0.9% NaCl at 0.6 mL.kg-1 min-1 + 100 microCi/kg D[6-3H]-glucose by prime plus constant infusion for 210 minutes. Ra (rate of production) was measured during infusion of variable doses of epinephrine with or without variable doses of propranolol, a competitive beta-adrenergic antagonist to isolate the alpha-adrenergic agonist effects. All basal kinetic data were comparable. Under conditions of epinephrine infusion, the plasma glucose concentration increased from 95 +/- 10 mg/dL to 129 +/- 18 mg/dL (50 ng.kg-1 min-1 epinephrine; P less than .0001) and from 85 +/- 6 mg/dL to 253 +/- 8 mg/dL (500 ng.kg-1 min-1 epinephrine; P less than .00001) compared with controls (96 +/- 7 mg/dL to 95 +/- 8 mg/dL). When epinephrine and propranolol were infused simultaneously, plasma glucose concentration increased from 95 +/- 10 mg/dL to 122 +/- 12 mg/dL (50 ng.kg-1 min-1 epinephrine + 1.1 micrograms.kg-1 min-1; P less than .0001) and from 78 +/- 9 mg/dL to 134 +/- 12 mg/dL (500 ng.kg-1 min-1 epinephrine + 11 micrograms.kg-1 min-1; P less than .0001) compared with controls (no epinephrine, no propranolol).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005947:Glucose / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000032:analysis; D012756:Sheep
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D005947:Glucose