EFFECT OF ADRENOMEDULLATION ON HORMONAL R ESPONSE INDUCED BY ACUTE HEPATIC VAGOTOMY

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of an ac ute hepatic vagotomy on plasma insulin and catecholamines levels in fa sted and fed rats with and without adrenodemedullation. Rats were firs t divided into two groups: adrenodemedullated (ADM) and non-adrenodeme dullated rats, each group being subdivided into a normally fed and a f asted (14 hrs) group. Anesthetized rats were first ADM or sham operate d, and a jugular catheter was inserted. The first blood sample was tak en 30 min later (time 0). Rats were then hepatic vagotomized (HV) or s ham operated, and the second blood sample was taken 30 milt after the HV. Results (0 vs 30 min) indicate an increase in plasma glucose, epin ephrine, and norepinephrine concentrations in rats non-adrenodemedulla ted. This effect was independent of the nutritional state and the inte grity of the vagus nerve. A weakly significant (P < 0.07) effect of th e HV on insulin response was found in ADM rats, independently of the f ed or fast state (different levels of hepatic glycogen content). These results indicate the necessity of using ADM animals to study the effe cts of an acute HV. They also suggest that the hepato-pancreatic axis is nor influenced by the level of hepatic glycogen.