Effects of physiological infusion of epinephrine in normal humans: relationship between the metabolic response and beta-adrenergic binding.
In normal humans, infusion of epinephrine for 4 h increased plasma epinephrine to 411 +/- 38 pg/ml but had no significant effect on palsma insulin or glucagon levels. Epinephrine produced a prompt 45% rise in glucose output (P less than 0.01) and a 120% rise in FFA (P less than 0.001), both of which declined to basal levels by 60-90 min. Glucose clearance decreased by 25% (P less than 0.005) and remained suppressed for 4 h. The binding of [125I]hydroxybenzylpindolol to lymphocytes was unchanged after epinephrine infusion. We conclude that in normal humans 1) physiological increments in epinephrine have a persistent effect in decreasing glucose clearance but only transiently increase hepatic glucose output and FFA levels and 2) this refractoriness of liver and adipose tissue to epinephrine occurs without a concomitant decrease in beta-adrenergic binding to lymphocytes.
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007700:Kinetics; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000502:physiology*; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000502:physiology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D005934:Glucagon; D004837:Epinephrine