GLYCOGEN DEGRADATION BY ADRENERGIC AGONISTS AND GLUCAGON IN PERIPORTAL AND PERIVENOUS RAT HEPATOCYTE CULTURES

The stimulation of glycogen degradation by adrenergic agonists and glu cagon was determined in hepatocytes isolated from the periportal and p erivenous zones of rat liver and maintained in culture. Glucagon, epin ephrine and phenylephrine (an alpha-adrenergic receptor agonist) cause d a greater stimulation of glycogen degradation in periportal than in perivenous hepatocytes, whereas isoproterenol (a beta-adrenergic recep tor agonist) caused a similar degree of glycogenolysis in the two cell populations. The results suggest that the hormonal stimulation of gly cogen degradation differs in periportal and perivenous hepatocytes.