Plasma catecholamines and their effect on blood lactate and muscle lactate output.

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) increase net muscle lactate output (L) of in situ gastrocnemius-plantaris muscle group during contractions. Plasma [E] and [NE] were measured before and after the surgical isolation of the muscle and at 10-min intervals during the 60-min experiments. Plasma [E] and [NE] were increased threefold by intravenous infusions of E (n = 3) or NE (n = 3) at a rate of 1.5 micrograms X kg body wt-1 X min-1. Arterial and muscle venous blood samples for O2 and lactate concentrations were also obtained. The infusions began at min 11 and repetitive isometric contractions (4 tw/s) began at min 31. The presurgery plasma [E] and [NE] averaged 0.34 and 0.52 ng/ml, respectively, and rose to 1.12 and 1.19 ng/ml 10 min after surgery. Arterial and venous lactate concentrations (CaL and CvL) increased continuously during E infusion but remained constant during NE infusion. Maximal L during the first 10 min of contractions was significantly increased compared with an identical earlier study without infusions. O2 uptake was not changed by the infusions. It is concluded that E causes CaL to rise and that both E and NE increase maximal net lactate output during contractions.