The cardiac inotropic response to secretin is lower in genetically obese (fa/fa) than in lean (fa/?) Zucker rats.

The efficacy and potency of secretin in rat heart was documented by comparing secretin and D,L-isoproterenol effects on: 1. the inotropic response of papillary muscles electrically stimulated in vitro, and 2. adenylate cyclase activity in a crude membrane preparation from heart ventricle. In male adult lean (FA/?) Zucker rats, the extent of the positive inotropic response and the stimulatory effect on adenylate cyclase were similar in magnitude for secretin and D,L-isoproterenol, the two corresponding EC50 values for inotropic effects being 5- to 10-fold lower than the EC50 values for adenylate cyclase stimulation. In male adult obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats, the stimulatory effects exerted by secretin on the inotropic response and adenylate cyclase activity were reduced by 73% and 70%, respectively, while the extent of similar D,L-isoproterenol responses were reduced, respectively, by 29% and 25% only. With D,L-isoproterenol, the EC50 value for the inotropic effect was 5-fold lower than the EC50 value for adenylate cyclase activation whereas both EC50 values were comparable when secretin was used as a stimulant.