Effect of indomethacin on hepatic glucose production in vitro: the impact of hepatic glycogen content.

The effect of indomethacin (IND) on glucagon-induced hepatic glucose production (HGP) was studied in the isolated perfused livers of rats. Addition of IND (0.2 mM) to the perfusion medium had no effect on glucagon-stimulated HGP when compared to control experiments without added IND (1.02 +/- 0.17 vs. 1.00 +/- 0.26 mmol per (120 min X 100 g b.w.), respectively; NS). Intravenous pretreatment with both, IND (10 mg/kg b.w.), or vehicle resulted in a reduction in glucagon-induced HGP due to a decrease in hepatic glycogen content. A complete depletion of the hepatic glycogen pool and thus a lack in glucagon-stimulated HGP was observed when IND was given intraperitoneally. These results indicate that the changes in HGP observed after pretreatment with IND may largely if not completely be due to a non-specific depletion in hepatic glycogen content and that IND does not exert a direct influence on HGP.