Although epinephrine stimulates insulin release by activation of beta-adrenergic receptors, its dominant effect (mediated by stimulation of alpha-adrenergic receptors) is an inhibition of insulin secretion that is powerful enough to suppress the secretory activity of insulin's most potent stimulants. The insulin-secretory response to potassium chloride (KC1) infusion, however, is not suppressed; in fact, in ureter-ligated dogs simultaneously infused with 360 μg. epinephrine per hour and 2 mEq. KC1 per kilogram per hour, insulin release is actually increased about threefold (over controls). Propranolol blockade of beta-adrenergic receptors essentially abolishes the insulin response to KCI infusion, with and without epinephrine. It is unlikely that KCI, like epinephrine, provokes insulin release by direct stimulation of the beta-adrenergic receptors of the beta cells of the pancreatic islets. However, potassium in some way enhances the beta adrenergic (secretory) activity of epinephrine and blunts its usually dominant alpha-adrenergic (inhibitory) effect.
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Oringinal Contribution|
May 01 1978
Epinephrine Enhancement of Potassium-stimulated Immunoreactive Insulin Secretion Role of Beta-adrenergic Receptors
Nathan Hiatt, MD;
Nathan Hiatt, MD
University of California at Los Angeles, School of Medicine
Los Angeles
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Mayer B Davidson, MD;
Mayer B Davidson, MD
Medical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California; the Department of Physiology, University of Southern California School of Medicine
Los Angeles
; and the Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, School of Medicine
Los Angeles
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Lloyd W Chapman, PhD;
Lloyd W Chapman, PhD
University of California at Los Angeles, School of Medicine
Los Angeles
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Jack A Sheinkopf, MD
Jack A Sheinkopf, MD
Department of Surgery, the Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, School of Medicine
Los Angeles
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Citation
Nathan Hiatt, Mayer B Davidson, Lloyd W Chapman, Jack A Sheinkopf; Epinephrine Enhancement of Potassium-stimulated Immunoreactive Insulin Secretion Role of Beta-adrenergic Receptors. Diabetes 1 May 1978; 27 (5): 550–553. https://doi.org/10.2337/diab.27.5.550
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