Effects of insulin on the utilization of 14C-glycerol and 14C-glucose in hepatectomized nephrectomized rats

Insulin (i.v.) administration to functionally hepatectomized-nephrectomized rats did not alter circulating levels of glycerol and only slightly affected plasma radioactivity when animals received (U-14C)-glycerol, whereas after (U-14C)-glucose administration insulin enhanced hypoglycemia and greatly accelerated the rate of radioactivity loss from plasma. At 15 min after i.v. injection of (U-14C)-glycerol, radioactivity in total lipids was reduced in heart and lungs by insulin administration and enhanced in carcass and brown adipose tissue. These effects involved the 14C-glyceride glycerol fraction in the case of heart and 14C-fatty acids in carcass and adipose tissue. When (U-14C)-glucose was administered, insulin enhanced the appearance of 14C-water-soluble material in heart and carcass and 14C-total lipids in heart, carcass, and both brown and white adipose tissue. The effect in heart corresponded mainly to the 14C-glyceride glycerol fraction whereas it corresponded to the 14C-fatty acids in the other tissues. Therefore, insulin effects on glycerol metabolism substantially differ from those on glucose. Opposite effects on heart and lung glycerol utilization as compared to those in carcass and brown adipose tissue may account for the difficulties in observing changes in plasma glycerol levels after insulin treatment.