Epinephrine and Energy Mobilization by Lactating Sows

Research was conducted to determine the optimal dosage of epinephrine (adrenalin) for use as an in vitro diagnostic tool to measure changes in the mobilization of energy from body tissues. Doses of epinephrine were .1, .2, .4, .8, 1.2, and 1.6 &#;g/kg of body weight. Blood samples were collected from 15 minutes before epinephrine infusion through 120 minutes post infusion. Samples were analyzed for non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and glucose content. Linear increases in NEFA and glucose were found for increasing dosages of epinephrine, along with a quadratic effect for some of the NEFA data because of a hypersensitive response to epinephrine at the lowest two levels. These data, although not establishing an optimal dosage of epinephrine, have shown that the lactating sow is capable of responding to increasing concent rations of epinephrine by increasing energy mobilization from body tissues and that the dosages of epinephrine used were insufficient to induce maximal energy mobilization from peripheral tissues