Combined effect of 2-deoxy-D-glucose and exercise on plasma catecholamine response

2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) is a nonmetabolizable analogue of glucose that, by competitive inhibition of glucose utilization, produces a central neuroglucopenia and a peripheral hyperglycemia. This glucopenic agent was used to gain more insight into the combined effects of central glucopenia and exercise on plasma catecholamine response. This was carried out by comparing one group of exercising (26 m/min, 0% grade) rats injected with 2-DG (2-DG-EX; 250 mg/kg iv) with two control groups: one group of exercising rats injected with a saline solution (SAL-EX) and one group of resting rats injected with 2-DG (2-DG-RE). Significant (P less than 0.05) increases in blood glucose levels were observed 10 min after administration of 2-DG (7.2-13.8 and 7.3-12.4 mmol/l in 2-DG-EX and 2-DG-RE groups, respectively). These elevated blood glucose levels were maintained throughout the experiment in the 2-DG-RE condition but decreased in 2-DG-EX rats to levels observed in the SAL-EX group after 45 min of running (13.8-8.0 mmol/l). The combination of 2-DG-induced neuroglucopenia and exercise resulted in an additive response of norepinephrine (0.59 vs. 0.34 and 0.34 ng/ml; t = 12 min) and an amplified epinephrine response (1.4 vs. 0.37 and 0.31 ng/ml; t = 12 min) compared with the responses to each stimulus alone (2-DG-EX vs. 2-DG-RE and SAL-EX, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)