Interactions of stress hormones on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in man with partial insulin deficiency.

The metabolic responses to 4-h infusions of adrenaline (3 micrograms kg-1 h-1) and cortisol (10 mg m-2 h-1 for 2 h followed by 5 mg m-2 h-1 for 2 h), separately and in combination, have been studied in six healthy subjects with concurrent somatostatin infusion (250 micrograms h-1). A combined infusion of adrenaline, cortisol, glucagon (180 ng kg-1 h-1) and somatostatin has also been studied. Somatostatin plus adrenaline and somatostatin plus cortisol resulted in hyperglycaemia (at 240 min, somatostatin plus adrenaline 11.4 +/- 0.4 mmol l-1, P less than 0.001; somatostatin plus cortisol 6.7 +/- 0.3 mmol l-1, P less than 0.05; somatostatin alone 4.9 +/- 0.4 mmol l-1). No synergistic effect on blood glucose was seen with adrenaline and cortisol together. When glucagon was added, blood glucose rose more rapidly than without glucagon (9.3 +/- 0.4 mmol l-1 v. 7.2 +/- 0.5 mmol l-1 at 45 min, P less than 0.001), but plateau values were similar. Plasma NEFA levels were raised by somatostatin plus adrenaline (0.55 +/- 0.04-1.82 +/- 0.11 mmol l-1 at 60 min). Somatostatin plus cortisol had no more effect on plasma NEFA than somatostatin alone. During the combined infusion of somatostatin plus adrenaline plus cortisol, a synergistic effect on plasma NEFA was observed (2.30 +/- 0.11 mmol l-1 at 60 min, P less than 0.01 v. somatostatin plus adrenaline). This occurred despite a small escape of insulin secretion. The lipolytic actions of adrenaline are potentiated by elevated circulating cortisol levels in insulin-deficient man.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)