EFFECT OF ADRENAL DEMEDULLATION AND (OR) PHYSICAL-TRAINING ON GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE IN THE RAT

Physical training increases insulin sensitivity by mechanisms not yet fully understood. Because exercise also modulates adrenergic system activity, the present study was designed to ascertain whether the improved glucose homeostasis observed in trained rats is influenced by epinephrine secretion from the adrenal medullae. Male Wistar rats previously submitted to adrenal demedullation or sham operated were kept sedentary or trained on a treadmill over a 10-week period. An intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) was done 64 h after the last bout of exercise. Basal plasma glucose levels were reduced by physical training (p < 0.005) and by adrenal demedullation (p < 0.001). Adrenodemedullated rats had lower (p < 0.005) plasma glucose levels than sham-operated animals over the whole glucose tolerance curve. Trained animals had lower (p < 0.01) plasma glucose levels than sedentary rats throughout the IVGTT, except at 45 min. The glucose disappearance rate measured after the glucose bolus injection was increased by training (p < 0.05), whereas it was not modified by adrenal demedullation. Basal plasma insulin levels were reduced (p < 0.001) by physical training but unaffected by adrenal demedullation. During the IVGTT, adrenodemedullated rats had higher (p < 0.01) plasma insulin levels at 2, 4, and 6 min, whereas trained animals had lower (p < 0.05) plasma insulin levels throughout the test. Moreover, insulin in adrenodemedullated and trained rats had returned to basal levels at 30 min. The area under the curve for insulin was diminished by physical training (p < 0.001) but was not modified by adrenal demedullation. In the basal state and during the IVGTT, the sedentary adrenodemedullated rats had higher (p < 0.05) plasma glucagon levels compared with the other groups of animals. Pancreatic insulin content was not modified by adrenal demedullation but was diminished (p < 0.01) by physical training. The pancreatic glucagon content was not altered by adrenal demedullation or physical training. Because adrenal demedullation abolished the exercise-induced increase in epinephrine secretion, the results of the present study suggest that the enhanced insulin sensitivity induced by physical training is not caused by an increase in epinephrine secretion from the adrenal medullae.