Abstract
Summary
Isoproterenol-induced insulin release in fed normal rats and hypergly-cemia in fed alloxan diabetic rats were inhibited by pretreatment with propranolol. Moreover, salbutamol, another /8-adrener-gic stimulant, appears to have some insulin releasing activity in the fed normal rat although its glucose mobilizing activity seems to be preponderant. Epinephrine and nor-epinephrine, on the other hand, have weak or no insulin releasing activity acutely and are more potent hyperglycemic agents than isoproterenol in the fed normal rat. These results suggest that insulin release by isoproterenol and by salbutamol in normal rats can attenuate the hyperglycemic activity of these β-adrenergic receptor agonists.
Suppression of insulin release by treatment with alloxan discloses the substantial glucose mobilizing effects of isoproterenol in the rat.
The authors are grateful to Dr. Mary A. Root of Eli Lilly and Co. for a generous gift of protamine zinc insulin, Dr. R. O. Davies of Ayerst Laboratories for a generous supply of propranolol (Inderal), and Dr. I. A. A. Tabachnick of The Schering Corporation for a gift of salbutamol.
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