Mobilization of glucoregulatory hormones and glucose by hypothalamic locomotor centers

Recent studies suggest that, in addition to classical humoral metabolic feedback mechanisms, the mobilization of glucoregulatory hormones and glucose in exercise may be regulated by motor centers in the brain. We, therefore, studied the effect of electrically stimulating the posterior hypothalamic locomotor region (PHLR) for 10 min in decorticated (n = 6) and alpha-chloralose-anesthetized (n = 8) cats. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured, and blood samples were drawn for analysis of hormones and metabolites before, during, and after 10 min of PHLR stimulation. Feedback from contracting muscles was prevented by neuromuscular blockade in decorticated cats and by the anesthesia in anesthetized cats. In decorticated cats, PHLR stimulation elicited increases (2 P less than 0.05) in glucose production (delta 54 +/- 16 mumol.min-1.kg-1), plasma glucose (delta 2.2 +/- 0.7 mmol/l), epinephrine (delta 4.9 +/- 1.8 pmol/l), norepinephrine (delta 2.2 +/- 0.9 pmol/l), glucagon (delta 16 +/- 5 pmol/l), decreases (2 P less than 0.05) in plasma insulin (delta 27 +/- 7 pmol/l), and increases (2 P less than 0.05) in blood pressure (delta 48 +/- 9 mmHg) and heart rate (delta 26 +/- 7 beats/min). In anesthetized cats, PHLR stimulation elicited increases (2 P less than 0.05) in glucose production (delta 12 +/- 4 mumol.min-1.kg-1), plasma glucose (delta 0.4 +/- 0.1 mmol/l), blood pressure (delta 39 +/- 7 mmHg), and heart rate (delta 28 +/- 7 beats/min), whereas changes in catecholamine and insulin concentrations did not reach statistical significance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)