MECHANISMS OF INSULIN AND EPINEPHRINE EFFECT ON THE LEVEL OF PLASMA POTASSIUM

Abstract

It has been shown that the potassium content of plasma, liver, and muscle are altered following the administration of insulin or epinephrine in the rat (Dury, 1951; Dury and Johnston, 1951; Dury and Moss, 1952). Further studies of the influence of these hormones on potassium mobilization showed that insulin and epinephrine moderated an induced plasma potassium plethora following an infusion of glucose in adrenalectomizedalloxanized rats. Although both hormones induce a significant decrease in the plasma potassium level of intact rats, insulin and epinephrine have divergent effects on the potassium content of plasma and other tissues in adrenalectomized, adrenal-enucleated, and adrenalectomized-alloxanized rats. The results of these investigations indicated that insulin induced a fall in plasma potassium level in consequence of its effect upon carbohydrate assimilation and utilization when carbohydrate reserves are adequate or glucose is made available by exogenous supply (Dury, 1951; Dury and Moss, 1952; Dury, 1952; Tread well and Dury, 1953).