title: Effects of adrenergic and cholinergic blockade on insulin-induced stimulation of calf blood flow in humans.
abstract: Euglycemic hyperinsulinemia stimulates both sympathetic nerve activity and blood flow to skeletal muscle, but the mechanism is unknown. Possible mechanisms that may stimulate muscle blood flow include neural, humoral, or metabolic effects of insulin. To determine whether such insulin-induced vasodilation is modulated by stimulation of adrenergic or cholinergic mechanisms, we obtained, in eight healthy lean subjects, plethysmographic measurements of calf blood flow during 3 h of hyperinsulinemic (1 mU.kg-1.min-1) euglycemic clamp performed alone or during concomitant beta-adrenergic (propranolol infusion), cholinergic (atropine infusion), or alpha-adrenergic (prazosin administration) blockade. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemia alone increased calf blood flow by 38 +/- 10% (means +/- SE) and decreased vascular resistance by 27 +/- 4% (P < 0.01). The principal new observation is that these insulin-induced vasodilatory responses were not attenuated by concomitant propranolol or atropine infusion, nor were they potentiated by prazosin administration. In conclusion, these findings provide evidence that during euglycemic hyperinsulinemia in lean healthy humans stimulation of muscle blood flow is not mediated primarily by beta-adrenergic or cholinergic mechanisms. Furthermore, alpha-adrenergic mechanisms do not markedly limit insulin-induced stimulation of muscle blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine B, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Randin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vollenweider
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tappy
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jéquier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicod
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Scherrer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply*; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D013565:Sympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002395:Catecholamines; D007328:Insulin; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D013565:Sympatholytics; D011188:Potassium