Metabolic effects induced by epinephrine in Rana balcanica erythrocytes under normoxic and hypoxic conditions

The metabolic effects of epinephrine on Rana balcanica erythrocyte suspensi on were studied under normoxia and hypoxia. After epinephrine treatment, a 1.2-fold increase of lactate formation and a 20 per cent decrease of ATP co ncentration was found under normoxic conditions. These effects were rapid a nd specific to beta. alpha(1) and alpha(2) antagonists. Glycolysis was stim ulated to almost the same extent by both epinephrine and forskolin at normo xic conditions. The stimulation of glycolysis was probably due to stimulati on of phosphofructokinase (PFK) as well as to activation of Na+, K+-ATPase. The decrease of ATP was a contributing factor to PFK activation. Despite t he high levels of c-AMP at hypoxia, glycolysis was not further induced by e pinephrine. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.