Inhibition of In Vivo Insulin Secretion by Prostaglandin E<sub>1</sub>

R. Paul Robertson; David J. Gavareski; Daniel Porte; Edwin L. Bierman

doi:10.1172/JCI107766

Inhibition of In Vivo Insulin Secretion by Prostaglandin E₁

R. Paul Robertson, David J. Gavareski, Daniel Porte Jr., and Edwin L. Bierman

Published August 1, 1974 - More info

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Abstract

To determine the effect of prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁) infusion upon in vivo insulin secretion, serum insulin responses after an intravenous glucose pulse (2 g) were measured before and during an intravenous infusion of PGE₁ (10 μg/min) in 11 anesthetized dogs. Circulating insulin decreased significantly during PGE₁ infusion were significantly less than control responses. Three dogs received PGE₁ infusions into the thoracic aorta to preclude pulmonic and hepatic degradation of PGE₁ before its arrival at the pancreatic artery; inhibition of insulin secretion was again seen. Inhibition of insulin secretion could not be related to the degree of arterial hypotension induced by intravenous PGE₁, and despite alpha adrenergic blockade with intravenous phentolamine, PGE₁-induced inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin responses persisted. Significant increments in systemically circulating PGE levels during intravenous PGE₁ infusions were documented by radioimmunoassay. These studies demonstrate that systemic PGE₁ infusion inhibits insulin secretion and that this effect could not be shown to be dependent upon alpha adrenergic activity.

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