Role of autonomic nervous system in the response of plasma pancreatic polypeptide to glycopenia in dogs.

The effect of cholinergic and adrenergic influences on pancreatic polypeptide (PP) release was studied in dogs. Administration of acetylcholine resulted in an elevation of plasma PP, whereas epinephrine induced no increase. Insulin-induced hypoglycemia increased plasma PP in a conscious state but not in anesthetized dogs. The infusion of phentolamine or propranolol did not affect the response of plasma PP to insulin-induced hypoglycemia, whereas atropine markedly inhibited the increase in plasma PP. Likewise, atropine reduced the rise of plasma PP during the intravenous administration of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). We conclude from the present experiments that cholinergic mechanisms are of major importance in the response of PP to insulin- and 2-DG-induced glucoprivation, while the major role of the adrenergic mechanism was not proved.