Catecholamine receptor sensitivity and the regulation of lipolysis in adult diabetes.

The sensitivity of alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors, and the antilipolytic actions of prostaglandin E1 or insulin on adipose tissue of obese diabetic and non-diabetic subjects have been studied. Accumulation of cyclic AMP in adipose tissue and release of glycerol in response to several catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline and isoprenaline) in the presence or absence of an alpha-adrenergic blocker (phentolamine) have been used to assess catecholamine receptor sensitivity. No differences in beta-receptor activity were observed between diabetics and non-diabetics, either on glycerol release or accumulation of cyclic AMP; alpha-receptor activity was also similar, except for significantly less accumulation of cyclic AMP in diabetic tissue incubated with noradrenaline and phentolamine (p less than 0.01). The antilipolytic action of prostaglandin E1 (at concentrations of 30 fM to 30 pM) on lipolysis (stimulated submaximally with isoprenaline, 10(-7) M) was similar in diabetic and control groups. The antilipolytic action of insulin (from 10(-10) to 10(-6) M) on lipolysis was also similar between the groups. It is concluded that neither disorders of the catecholamine receptor nor of the antiliolytic actions of prostaglandin E1 or insulin are responsible for the abnormalities of fatty acid metabolism in adult diabetes.