ADRENALINE HYPERGLYCEMIA: PROPORTIONALITY WITH DOSE

Abstract

Intraven. inj. of adrenalin at rates of 0.00025, 0.00050, 0.00100, 0.00200, 0.00400, 0.00700 and 0.01000 mgm. per kg. per min. for 5 mins. affects blood sugar level of chloralose anesthetized cats as follows: the approximate minimal effective dose is 0.00050 mgm. per kg. per min.; maximum blood sugar level is usually attained in the 10-min. interval following the 5-min. inj. period; hyperglycemia increases with dose up to 0.004 mgm. per kilo per min.; the 2 rates of inj. beyond this, 0.007 and 0.010 mgm. per kg. per min., produce progressively decreasing augmentation of blood sugar level. The difficulty of reconciling such a result with the operation, singly, of any one of the factors hitherto advanced to account for adrenalin hyperglycemia warrants the tentative suggestion that explanation should be sought in the interaction of several of the well-known physiological responses to this hormone.