Elsevier

Metabolism

Volume 31, Issue 3, March 1982, Pages 238-246
Metabolism

Hormonal control of glucose homeostasis during development and ageing in mice

https://doi.org/10.1016/0026-0495(82)90059-2Get rights and content

Abstract

Age-related changes in the hormonal control of glucose homeostasis were examined in immature (5-wk-old), young adult (10-wk-old) and older adult (30 and 60-wk-old mice). In immature mice, basal plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were higher than young adult mice. Glucose tolerance was impaired in immature mice, although the plasma insulin response to glucose and other secretagogues (arginine and glucagon) was well developed, and the hypoglycaemic effect of exogenous insulin was not impaired. Glucagon and epinephrine evoked a greater acute hyperglycaemia in immmature mice, suggesting that these hormones exert a stronger rapid glucose-raising effect in preadult life. Basal plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were lowest in young adult mice, and increased with advancing adult age. Glucose tolerance was best in young adult mice and deteriorated with age, while plasma insulin concentrations after administration of glucose, arginine and glucagon were lowest in young adult mice and increased with age. However, in response to these secretagogues, the percentage increase in plasma insulin above basal was reduced in older adult mice. This indicates a defect of stimulus-recognition-secretion-coupling in the B-cells of older adult mice. The raised plasma glucose concentrations of older adult mice could not be attributed to an increase in the acute hyperglycaemic action of glucagon or epinephrine. The hypoglycaemic response to exogenous insulin decreased with age, suggesting that tissue sensitivity to insulin was impaired. Treatment with growth hormone and cortisone for 5 days produced a greater antagonism of insulin in older mice than young adult or immature mice. Growth hormone imparied glucose tolerance at each age, but only produced a marked hyperinsulinaemia in older adult mice. In contrast, cortisone produced a marked hyperinsulinaemia at each age, but only impaired glucose tolerance in older adult mice.

References (57)

  • R.L. Phelps et al.

    Carbohydrate metabolism in pregnancy. XV. Plasma C-peptide during intravenous glucose tolerance in neonates from normal and insulin-treated diabetic mothers

    J Clin Endocirinol Metab

    (1978)
  • V Grill et al.

    Generalized diminution in the response to nutrients as insulin-releasing agents during the early neonatal period in the rat

    Diabetes

    (1981)
  • P.R. Flatt et al.

    Development of glucose intolerance and impaired plasma insulin response to glucose in obese hyperglycaemic (obob) mice

    Horm Metab Res

    (1981)
  • A.L. Rosenbloom et al.

    Age-adjusted analysis of insulin responses during normal and abnormal glucose tolerance tests in children and adolescents

    Diabetes

    (1975)
  • H Lestradet et al.

    Insulin and free fatty acid levels during oral glucose tolerance tests and their relation to age in 70 healthy children

    Diabetes

    (1976)
  • S Grasso et al.

    Insulin secreton in the premature infant. Response to glucose and amino acids

    Diabetes

    (1973)
  • R.A. DeFronzo

    Glucose intolerance and aging: evidence for tissue insensitivity to insulin

    Diabetes

    (1979)
  • P.R. Flatt et al.

    Abnormal plasma glucose and insulin responses in heterozygous lean (ob/+) mice

    Diabetologia

    (1981)
  • C.J. Bailey et al.

    Diurnal variations of food consumption, plasma glucose and plasma insulin concentrations in lean and obese hyperglycaemic mice

    Hormone Res

    (1975)
  • P Hahn

    Nutrition and metabolic development in mammals

  • M.W. Haymond et al.

    Endocrine and metabolic aspects of fuel homeostasis in the fetus and neonate

  • K Snell et al.

    Glucose metabolism in the newborn rat: hormonal effects in vivo

    Biochem J

    (1973)
  • F Vinicor et al.

    Development of glucagon sensitivity in neonetal rat liver

    J Clin Invest

    (1976)
  • B.R. Landau

    Adrenal steroids and carbohydrate metabolism

    Vitamins Hormones

    (1965)
  • J.W. Ensinck et al.

    Hormonal and nonhormonal factors modifying man's response to insulin

  • I.D. Goldfine et al.

    Excessive glucagon responses to arginine in active acromegaly

    Horm Metab Res

    (1972)
  • S Pek et al.

    Glucagon release precedes insulin release in response to common secretagogues

    Diabetes

    (1976)
  • T-Y Tai et al.

    Direct stimulation by growth hormone of glucagon and insulin release from isolated rat pancreas

    Endocrinology

    (1976)
  • Cited by (30)

    • Ac3IV, a V1a and V1b receptor selective vasopressin analogue, protects against hydrocortisone-induced changes in pancreatic islet cell lineage

      2022, Peptides
      Citation Excerpt :

      Indeed, a comparable treatment period has been successfully utilised for other studies evaluating drug-induced changes of pancreatic islet cell lineage in insulin resistant and diabetic rodents [23–25]. It would also have been useful to directly assess insulin sensitivity in the HC mice, although early studies have shown that chronic treatment with this steroid rarely results in hyperglycaemia or notable insulin resistance, unless the mice are aged [44]. In addition, we are unable to determine the exact role of changes in islet-cell turnover and ductal cell transdifferentiation, in relation to positively altered islet cell transition events, for the overall benefits of Ac3IV in HC treated mice.

    • Sexual dimorphism of metabolic and vascular dysfunction in aged mice and those lacking the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 3

      2017, Experimental Gerontology
      Citation Excerpt :

      Previous work showed increased fasting glucose levels in 60-month old mice compared to young adult mice that were lower than those found in our aged male mice. This is likely because the results from males and females were combined in this study (Bailey and Flatt, 1982). These differences in WT males were not associated with higher plasma concentrations of insulin, corticosterone or IL-6.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text