Contrasting action of short- and long-term adrenaline infusion on dog skeletal muscle glucose metabolism

Abstract

There are important differences between the short- and long-term effects of adrenaline on determinants of glucose tolerance. To assess this metabolic adaptation at tissue level, the present study examined the effect of acute and prolonged in vivo elevation of adrenaline on glycogen metabolism and glycolysis in skeletal muscle. Adrenaline (50 ng · kg−1 · min−1) was infused for 2 h or 74 h and the results compared with 1 h 0.9% NaCl infusion in six trained dogs. Muscle glycogen content was reduced by long-term adrenaline (161 ± 17 vs NaCl 250 ± 24 μmol/g dry weight; p < 0.05) but not short-term adrenaline (233 ± 21) indicating a sustained effect of adrenaline on glycogen metabolism. Acutely, g..