It is well known that a prolonged period of fasting produces, in normal subjects, a “diabetic-like” condition manifested by glucose intolerance and diminished insulin secretion. Administration of the alpha adrenergic blocking agent, phentolamine (Regitine), to healthy fasting subjects caused hyperinsulinemia in response to an intravenous glucose load without amelioration of glucose intolerance. These observations indicate that (1) reversal of hypoinsu-linemia does not acutely alter those factors which cause fasting glucose intolerance, and (2) the increase in sympathetic tone observed during starvation is responsible for the suppression of insulin release. The latter suggests that the autonomic nervous system plays an important physiological role in the regulation of the glucose-insulin axis.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Original Contributions|
October 01 1970
Adrenergic Regulation of Insulin Secretion During Fasting in Normal Subjects
Robert I Misbin, B.S.;
Robert I Misbin, B.S.
Clayton Laboratories, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore
, Maryland 21205 and The Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Baltimore, Maryland 21204
Search for other works by this author on:
Paul J Edgar, M.D.;
Paul J Edgar, M.D.
Clayton Laboratories, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore
, Maryland 21205 and The Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Baltimore, Maryland 21204
Search for other works by this author on:
Dean H Lockwood, M.D.
Dean H Lockwood, M.D.
Clayton Laboratories, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore
, Maryland 21205 and The Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Baltimore, Maryland 21204
Search for other works by this author on:
Citation
Robert I Misbin, Paul J Edgar, Dean H Lockwood; Adrenergic Regulation of Insulin Secretion During Fasting in Normal Subjects. Diabetes 1 October 1970; 19 (10): 688–693. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.19.10.688
Download citation file: