Organ Distribution of Radioactive Orthophosphate and Total Phosphorus in the Rat: The Influence of Glucagon and Insulin

The effects of glucagon in two different doses, of insulin alone, and of insulin administered with dextrose, to avoid hypoglycemia, on the distribution of P-32 carrier free orthophosphate in the different organs of the adult male rat were studied. The animals were sacrificed by exsanguination thirty minutes after the simultaneous injection of either of the above mentioned substances and P-32 orthophosphate by the intravenous route. The results were expressed in terms of per cent of recovered P-32, per mg. dry weight or per mg. of total phosphorus determined by incineration. The most interesting results obtained with glucagon were an increase of P-32 in the liver, and the heart, a decrease in the femur, epididymal fat and carcass. With insulin there was a decrease in the blood, and increase in the diaphragm and the heart. Insulin plus dextrose produced an increase of P-32 in the diaphragm and a decrease in the femur and the spleen. The increase of P-32 in the liver found after the administration of glucagon was not accompanied by significant changes of total phosphorus. It is suggested that the mentioned increase of P-32 may be due to an acceleration of the phosphorylative processes occurring under the action of glucagon.