Propranolol and somatostatin interactions with the hyperglycemic effects of glucagon, octopamine, noradrenaline and cAMP in worker honeybees in vivo.

The hyperglycemic effects of vertebrate glucagon, octopamine and noradrenaline, are depressed when propranolol or somatostatin is simultaneously injected into emerging adult worker bees. The inhibitory action of the peptidic antagonist (somatostatin) is more marked against the peptidic agonist (glucagon) and the action of the aminergic antagonist (propranolol) is more marked against the aminergic agonist (octopamine). Somatostatin seems to be inactive against the hyperglycemic effects of cyclic AMP itself. Lastly, octopamine and cAMP might share a common stimulatory activity towards the honeybee's hemolymph trehalases.