Evidence of increased gluconeogenesis during hemorrhage in fed and 24-hour food-deprived rats.

Food withdrawal 24 hr before hemorrhage has been shown to increase experimental post-hemorrhage mortality, and survival is associated with the degree of hyperglycemia. Lack of hyperglycemic response has been attributed to depleted glycogen reserves after 24-hr food withdrawal. To investigate the effect of short-term food deprivation on glucose metabolism during hemorrhagic stress, glucose production (rate of appearance, Ra), glucose uptake (rate of disappearance, Rd), glucose clearance, and glucose recycling were investigated in fed and 24-hr food-deprived rats under basal conditions, and during hemorrhagic hypotension using 3-H3-U-C14-glucose. During hemorrhage, blood glucose levels were higher in fed rats. Hemorrhage induced a decrease in glucose clearance irrespective of nutritional state in both 24-hr starved animals and rats in the postprandial state. Calculated glucose recycling increased in both groups after hemorrhage. The results indicate that hemorrhagic stress induces a rapid increase in gluconeogenesis, as reflected by increased glucose recycling.