Metabolic responses of the whole body, portal-drained viscera and hindquarter to adrenaline infusion: Effects of nonselective and selective β-adrenoceptor blockade

Abstract

Propranolol, a nonselective β-blocker and selective β-blockers (metoprolol a β1-blocker and ICI 118551 a β2-blocker) were used to investigate the β-adrenoceptor-mediated adrenaline-induced increase in whole-body and organ VO2 in five whether sheep. Transit time blood flow probes were chronically implanted on the portal vein and the external iliac artery and sampling catheters were placed in the mesenteric artery, iliac vein and portal vein. Oxygen consumption by the whole body was measured by open circuit calorimetry, and oxygen consumption by the portal-drained viscera and the hindquarter was determined from A-VO2 differences and organ blood flow. Absolute pre-infusion VO2 values for the whole body, portal-drained viscera and hindquarters were 236 ± 7.4, 61 ± 6.0 and 13 ± 3.1 mL min−1 respectively. The mean changes in VO2 in response to infusion were 74 vs. 11, 26, 10 and 12 mL min−1 (SE = 9.1) for whole body; 31 vs. −2, −15, 13 and −4 mL min−1 (SE = 7.3) for portal-drained viscera and 8 vs. −0.4, 2.1, 1.0 and −2.7 mL min−1; SE = 4.3) for hindquarters during adrenaline, control, propranolol, metoprolol and ICI 118551 treatments, respectively. Adrenaline increased VO2 (P < 0.05) in the whole body and portal-drained viscera, but not hindquarters relative to controls. All β-blockers suppressed (P < 0.05) the adrenaline-induced increase in VO2 except for the portal-drained viscera where metoprolol was less effective and the hindquarters where β-blockers had no effect. The blood flow pattern was similar to VO2 responses for the portal-drained viscera. The nonselective β1 and β2 blockers were effective in reducing the adrenaline-induced increases in blood flow from the portal-drained viscera and to the hindquarters, with more pronounced β-adrenoceptor-mediated haemodynamic effects. The results indicate that the β-adrenoceptor system modulates whole body VO2, clearly establishes that adrenaline induces an increased VO2 in portal-drained viscera which can be reversed by a β2 or nonselective β blocker and implicates β adrenoceptors as an influencing factor in the maintenance energy requirements of ruminants. Key words: Calorimetry, adrenaline, β blockers, blood flow, sheep