Diabetes, Vol 36, Issue 2 127-135, Copyright © 1987 by American Diabetes Association
Effect of stress hormones on splanchnic substrate and insulin disposal after glucose ingestion in healthy humans
WK Waldhausl, S Gasic, P Bratusch-Marrain, M Komjati and A Korn
To compare cortisol and epinephrine action on oral glucose tolerance,
healthy humans were infused with either cortisol (0.1 mg X kg-1 X h-1),
epinephrine (5.4 micrograms X kg-1 X h-1), or saline before and after a
75-g glucose load, thereby elevating the respective plasma hormone
concentrations into the pathophysiologic range. In the basal state,
epinephrine increased arterial concentrations of glucose,
beta-hydroxybutyrate, and free fatty acids (FFA) as well as splanchnic
output of glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate and splanchnic FFA more than
cortisol. Postprandially, C-peptide release and hyperinsulinemia were
blunted by epinephrine initially and increased less thereafter than during
cortisol infusion. The rise in arterial glucose after glucose ingestion as
calculated by the area under the curve was more marked (P less than .01)
after epinephrine [( 1.90 +/- 0.08 M) 150 min] and cortisol [( 1.41 +/-
0.05 M) 150 min] than in the control study [( 1.07 +/- 0.04 M) 150 min]. In
parallel, the stress hormones induced an almost identical 24 and 31% rise
in mean splanchnic glucose output versus control values (normal, 44.8 +/-
2.5; cortisol, 55.3 +/- 3.3; epinephrine, 58.9 +/- 6.9 g/150 min). The
associated rise in arterial concentrations and splanchnic output of insulin
above control values was considerably greater during cortisol but unchanged
during epinephrine exposure. Epinephrine but not cortisol induced a rise
versus the control study in splanchnic uptake of lactate and FFA, as well
as in pyruvate output, whereas plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate
remained unchanged. The postprandial splanchnic glucose
output-to-splanchnic C-peptide output ratio did not differ from normal
during epinephrine but was reduced (P less than .01) during cortisol
administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)