The effect of glucose, insulin and noradrenaline on lipolysis and on the concentrations of adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate and adenosine 5′-triphosphate in adipose tissue

Abstract

Glycerol release and tissue concentrations of ATP and cyclic AMP were followed during the incubation of adipose tissue with or without glucose, insulin and noradrenaline. Glucose plus insulin or, to a lesser extent, glucose alone increased the accumulation of glycerol during incubations both with and without noradrenaline by slowing the decline in the rate of glycerol release with time. Insulin alone decreased the accumulation by accelerating the fall in glycerol release. In the absence of noradrenaline, ATP and cyclic AMP concentrations were not significantly affected by insulin or glucose. With noradrenaline or noradrenaline plus insulin the ATP concentration gradually fell. With noradrenaline plus glucose the ATP concentration fell rapidly and then stabilized, or, if insulin was also present, returned to the control value. In the presence of noradrenaline, the concentration of cyclic AMP rose during the first 20min and then fell. Insulin lowered the peak concentration of cyclic AMP, but glucose had no effect either on the peak value or the fall in the concentration of the nucleotide. The increase and fall in the concentration of cyclic AMP with noradrenaline or noradrenaline plus insulin bore similarities to the increase and decline in the lipolytic rate in incubations without glucose. It is proposed that glucose stimulates ATP production by furnishing glycerol 1-phosphate and thus removing free fatty acids, but that it can influence lipolysis by a mechanism which is distinct from any which is mediated by free fatty acids, possibly by inhibiting the inactivation of the lipase.