Changes in adenylate energy charge of the liver after an oral glucose load.

Changes in the adenine nucleotide metabolism after an oral glucose load were studied in the liver of normal and alloxan-diabetic rats. Changes in the energy charge were positively correlated with those in the blood glucose and plasma immunoreactive insulin levels. One hour after an oral glucose load when the plasma immunoreactive insulin levels increased maximally, the energy charge increased maximally from 0.846 to 0.867 (P less than 0.001). The increase in the energy charge was accompanied by a concomitant decrease in the ADP levels (P less than 0.05). The respiratory control ration, state 3 respiration per unit of cytochrome a (+a3), and DNP-induced ATPase activity per unit of cytochrome a (+a3) increased significantly. The adenylate kinase and pyruvate kinase activities in the liver remained unchanged. On the other hand, the energy charge in the liver of alloxan-diabetic rats did not increase significantly after an oral glucose load. It was suggested that an increase in the energy charge of the liver is attributable to the more rapid flux of intermediary metabolism in the enhanced ADP-phosphorylating reactions by mitochondria, owing to an elevated level of insulin available to the hepatic cells.