Effects of adrenaline on ketogenesis from long- and medium-chain fatty acids in starved rats

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Abstract
Injection of adrenaline [epinephrine] into 24 h starved rats caused a 69% decrease in blood [ketone-body] (3-hydroxybutyrate plus acetoacetate), accompanied by a decreased [3-hydroxybutyrate]/[acetoacetate] ratio. Blood [glucose] and [lactate] increased, but [alanine] was unchanged. E also decreased [ketone-body] after intragastric feeding of both long- and medium-chain triacylglycerol. The latter decrease was observed after suppression of lipolysis with 5-methylpyrazole-3-carboxylic acid, indicating that the antiketogenic action of E was not dependent on the chain length of the precursor fatty acid. The actions of E to decrease blood [ketone-body] and to increase blood [glucose] were not observed after administration of 3-mercaptopicolinate, an inhibitor of gluconeogenesis. This suggests that these effects of the hormone are related. The possible clinical significance of the results is discussed with reference to the restricted ketosis often observed after surgical or orthopedic injury.