EFFECT OF ADRENALECTOMY ON GLUCOSE TURNOVER CORI CYCLE AND GLUCONEOGENESIS FROM ALANINE

[6-3H]Glucose in combination with [6-14C]glucose or [14C3]alanine was administered to normal and adrenalectomized rats to study glucose turnover, contribution of the Cori cycle to glucose production and gluconeogenesis from alanine. Plasma glucose concentration and glucose pool size were decreased following adrenalectomy. No effect was evident on the half-lives of [6-3H]glucose or [6-14C]glucose, indicating that neither the dicarboxylic acid shuttle nor the contribution fo Cori cycle (lactate incorporation) to glucose production is affected by lack of glucocorticoids. The incorporation of [14C3]alanine into the body glucose pool, however, was significantly decreased following adrenalectomy. It is propose that the decreased flow of precursors into glucose, resulting from a lack of adrenal glucocorticoids, originates at or before transamination of amino acids. © 1969.