Regulation of glycogen metabolism in liver by the autonomic nervous system: IV. Neural control of glycogen biosynthesis

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 252; no. 1; pp. 18 - 27
• Main Authors: Shimazu, Takashi, Fujimoto, Takamoto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.10.1971
• Subjects: Animals; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Carbon Isotopes; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Electric Stimulation; Glucose - metabolism; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; Glucosephosphates - metabolism; Glycogen - biosynthesis; Insulin - physiology; Kinetics; Liver - metabolism; Liver Glycogen - biosynthesis; Male; Muscles - metabolism; Nucleoside Diphosphate Sugars - metabolism; Oxidoreductases; Pancreatectomy; Rabbits; Splanchnic Nerves - physiology; Uracil Nucleotides - metabolism; Vagus Nerve - physiology
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 0006-3002; 1872-8006
• DOI: 10.1016/0304-4165(71)90088-2

The effects of electrical stimulation of the autonomic nerves on glycogen biosynthesis in rabbit liver were investigated. 1. 1. The rat of exchange of blood glucose was accelerated by stimulation of the vagus nerve (parasympathetic) but was decreased by stimulation of the splanchnic nerve (sympathetic). 2. 2. The rat of incorporation of radioactive glucose into liver glycogen was markedly increased on vagal stimulation and reduced on splanchnic-nerve stimulation. This effect of vagal stimulation was not impaired by previous pancreatectomy, indicating that the effect was not mediated by insulin. 3. 3. The degree of glycogen deposition in the liver after injection of glucose was greatly enhanced by vagal stimulation but not by splanchnic-nerve stimulation. 4. 4. The concentrations of Glc-6- P and UDPG in the liver of normal rabbit were estimated as approx. 0.24 and 0.45 μmole, respectively, per g wet wt. of liver. The levels of both intermediate were lowered conspicuously by vagal stimulation, but did not change significantly on splanchnic-nerve stimulation. These results suggest that a pull mechanism is involved in the acceleration of liver-glycogen synthesis on vagal stimulation, and that the conversion of UDPG to glycogen is the step which is stimulated.