Effect of insulin treatment of hypophysectomized rats on adipose tissue responsiveness to insulin and growth hormone.

The effects of insulin treatment and dietary glucose on the responsiveness of adipose tissue to insulin and GH after hypophysectomy were studied. Male rats, 130-150 g, were hypophysectomized. Glucose metabolism was measured by determining the production of CO2 from [14C]glucose and the incorporation of glucose into lipids in the epididymal fat pad. Basal levels of glucose oxidation as well as the response to insulin were markedly decreased 7 days after hypophysectomy. In hypophysectomized animals given drinking water containing 10% glucose, insulin responsiveness was partially restored, and an enhanced response to the insulin-like effect of GH was observed. Plasma insulin levels decreased after hypophysectomy. Additional glucose caused a significant increase in plasma insulin levels, but these levels were still lower than those in sham-operated animals. To examine the possibility that endogenous insulin levels are important for the capacity of adipose tissue to metabolize glucose and respond to insulin and GH, hypophysectomized rats were injected with different, progressively increasing doses of insulin for 7 days, beginning on the day after the operation. Basal levels of glucose oxidation were decreased in hypophysectomized control animals and gradually increased in a dose-dependent manner in insulin-treated animals. Basal levels were normalized when the total dose of insulin injected was 16.5 U. In these animals, the response to insulin was enhanced, and there was an increase in the magnitude of the response to GH. Similar results were obtained when glucose incorporation into lipids was determined. The decrease in basal and insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation levels after hypophysectomy were most pronounced when measured at a high glucose concentration (50 mM), when glucose transport is not rate limiting. The results indicate that the changes in glucose metabolism and hormonal responsiveness of adipose tissue after hypophysectomy are, at least in part, dependent upon the decrease in endogenous insulin levels.