Abstract
In anesthetized rats the glucose release of the kidneys was estimated from the glucose concentrations in the arterial and renal venous plasma, urinary glucose excretion and the total renal plasma now. Net renal glucose release was found in control experiments. The glucose release of the kidneys decreased with rising arterial plasma glucose values. Epinephrine (220 μg/kg s.c.) and isoprenaline (10 μ/kgs.c.) enhanced arterial plasma glucose levels and increased mean renal glucose production significantly. The enhanced glucose release after isoprenaline could be abolished by propranolol (1 mg/kg s.c). The glycogen content of the kidney was found to be too small to account for the observed renal glucose release by glycogenolysis. Therefore, these in vivo data indicate enhanced renal gluconeogenesis after adrenergic stimulation. This effect is thought to be mediated by the β-adrenergic receptors.