Cyclic AMP infusion and blood sugar, serum insulin and serum nonesterified fatty acid responses to glucose in recent experimental hyperthyroid dogs.

Recent experimental hyperthyroid (REH) dogs exhibit poor "in vivo" insulin responses to glucose probably due to a failure somewhere in cAMP-adenylate cyclase system. The actions of exogenous cAMP on these responses and on the regulation of blood sugar (BS) and serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) during glucose infusion tests (GIT) in REH and normal dogs were studied here. Hyperthyroidism was induced by 1-thyroxine administration (100 micrograms/kg body wt./die, 10 days). GIT consisted of i.v. glucose-priming followed by glucose i.v. continuous infusion (60 min). cAMP (0, 33 or 66 mg/kg body wt./min) was infused alone (30 min) and then overlapped to gluco-se infusion (60 min). Peripheral veins were used for infusions and blood sample withdrawal. BS, serum inmunoreactive insulin (IRI) and serum NEFA concentrations, basally and throughout the test, were measured. Basally, there was neither action nor interaction of hyperthyroidism and exogenous cAMP on these variables. During the GIT, the BS levels remained unaffected by hyperthyroidism; cAMP increased them, but failed to interact with hyperthyroidism. cAMP noninfused normal dogs responded to hyperglycemia with hyperinsulinemia, whereas REH dogs noninfused the nucleotide did not. cAMP administration at a high dose promoted their response in normal and REH dogs, particularly in the former; in the latter, the response was still lower than in cAMP noninfused normal controls. Although recent hyperthyroidism increased serum NEFA basal level, it exerted neither action nor interaction with the infused cAMP on serum NEFA during GIT. Results are discussed on the basis that the abolished insulin secretion "in vivo" characterizing the REH dogs, related to beta-adrenergic deficiency, can be for the most part restored by exogenous cAMP administration, despite which some glucose and triglyceride metabolism impairments are developed.