Changes in rat adipocyte and liver glucose metabolism following repeated restraint stress

Rats exposed to repeated restraint weigh less than controls even 8 weeks af ter stress. Stress-induced weight loss is lean tissue, but the post-stress difference in weight between control and restrained rats is lean and fat ma ss, Whole-body glucose clearance is enhanced 1 day after stress, but adipoc yte glucose utilization is inhibited and muscle glucose transport is unchan ged, The studies described here demonstrated that glucose transport was inc reased in both restrained and pair-fed rats, but that glycogen synthesis wa s increased only in restrained rats, which may account for the improved who le-body glucose clearance, Adipocyte glucose transport was inhibited and ad ipose plasma membrane beta -adrenergic receptor number was increased 7 day post-stress in restrained rats when weight loss was lean tissue, but were n ot different from control rats 5 days post-stress, when both fat and lean t issue were reduced. Thus, repeated restraint induces reversible changes in adipocyte metabolism that may represent a transition from the catabolic sta te of stress to a new energetic equilibrium in rats that maintain a reduced body weight for an extended period of time.