Effects of intravenous glucose or epinephrine injection on plasma concentrations of potassium, magnesium and insulin in sheep.

The experiment was conducted to study the relationships among glucose, insulin, potassium, magnesium and calcium concentrations in the blood plasma following intravenous glucose or epinephrine injection. Plasma concentrations of potassium and magnesium were lowered after the respective injection of glucose and epinephrine. When compared to epinephrine injection, an injection of glucose solution decreased potassium and magnesium concentrations in plasma more rapidly. Moreover, the recovery of the concentration levels of these minerals was faster when the animals were injected with glucose rather than epinephrine. These changes were inversely related to those of plasma insulin concentrations. The results may indicate that increased insulin secretion caused by glucose or epinephrine injection results in decreases of the plasma magnesium as well as potassium concentration in sheep.